Only Wolves and Madmen
by Gordon Pasha
Summary: Alpha and Omega / Heroic Green Goblin crossover. The Jasper pack is suspicious when goofy human Philip Urich suddenly appears in their midst without being able to explain why. But, to overcome new enemies, they will have to learn to trust him, Lilly will need to find her own inner strength, and the Green Goblin shall have to once again become a hero.
1. A Chance Meeting

**The story which follows is a crossover between the movie Alpha and Omega and the Green Goblin comic book series which ran from 1995 to 1996. As most people reading this will probably be A&O fans, and since this incarnation of the Green Goblin is pretty obscure anyway, I thought I'd start off with a basic introduction to the character.**

**Most people will probably know the Green Goblin as Spider-Man's diabolical arch-nemesis. The Green Goblin series completely shook this up by having happy-go-lucky college dropout Philip Urich stumble upon the Goblin's secret hideout and assume the Goblin identity. The character stood out from his predecessors in that he chose to act as a super hero instead of a villain. He was naturally shy and insecure, though possessed with a strong sense of humor, and his Goblin was prone to foolish and embarrassing missteps – yet somehow always managed (with a few exceptions) to outthink and outfight his foes. Though he was moderately successful as a super hero, Philip lost his powers in a climatic final battle at the end of the series and decided to return to college and move on with his life.**

**Various Marvel comics have already shown Philip readopting some version of the Goblin identity as both a hero and a villain. But this story takes place right after he quits being the heroic Goblin at the end of the comic series, so I am not getting into those. In the comic series, Philip narrated the stories from the first person, so everything from his perspective will be first person point-of-view. To avoid confusion, everyone else's perspective is written in third person.**

**And finally – I neither own nor claim copyright over these characters (except the few of my own creation), or the original stories. All others are property of Marvel, Lionsgate, Disney, etc., etc. Now, on with the story:**

* * *

A bright new sun shined over the early morning mists of Jasper Park. It was another beautiful day in the midst of one of Canada's foremost nature preserves. Kate stretched herself out as she walked into the warm rays of the sun. The long, slender she-wolf with golden-brown fur and a short brown mane smiled as the early morning wind hit her face. Not long after her came Humphrey, her mate. He was a lanky, gangly wolf, white and grey, with icy blue eyes. He tugged on Kate's ear playfully. She smiled at him and pulled it away, equally playfully.

"So, what should we do today, Kate?" Humphrey asked.

"Humphrey, you know Garth and I have to lead the hunt today," Kate said. "But maybe later we can do something… special."

"Hey, I'm all for that, but I don't know why we have to wait." He nuzzled Kate's neck. "I mean, I think Garth would agree. He wouldn't want to leave Lilly on any account!"

"You're right," Garth said, coming up behind them with Lilly beside him. He was a red wolf with certain cream markings, tall and muscular and proud, his green eyes with a haughty, almost arrogant look. She stood beside him, a white little thing with hair falling down over one of her large purple eyes. She smiled and laughed a little as she blew it away.

Garth continued, "But I have to go. We all need food. That is ultimately more important to the pack then my personal happiness."

"Oh, and aren't you going to ask your future mate about that?" Humphrey joked. "I think she might be upset."

"I'm fine with it," Lilly said, sounding slightly upset, "as long as it's for the good of the pack. I'm fine, really."

"It was a joke."

"Oh."

"We're Omegas, that's what we do."

"I know, I was just… distracted."

Humphrey shrugged. Kate nodded to Garth. "We had better get going if we want to lead the hunt. We don't want the Betas to leave without us, do we?"

"Hardly!" And they both took off down the mountain.

Humphrey and Lilly watched them go. "So, what do you want to do today?" Lilly asked.

"I don't know," Humphrey replied. "How about we go eat some of those bitter berries?'

Lilly smiled, though with a trace of sadness. "Okay, bitter berries…"

* * *

Ah man! I can't believe the camper broke down! Now how are we ever supposed to get out of this – what is it, wilderness? I really don't know. Oh, but Jenny's got everything under control. Good ol' take-charge Jenny. In many ways, she's the girl of my dreams; tall, attractive, long red hair, large clear eyes. She's got everything. I came up here to get away from everything after me and Merry broke up, but it seems like no matter how I try to get away from the love-bug, it always manages to find me again. Well, no need to be worried there. Jenny's definitely an out-doorsy type, someone who likes her men rough and rugged. Unfortunately I'm none of those things.

Y'see, I'm just plain old Philip Benjamin Urich,, a straight-up Mister Average with nothing special or remarkable about him at all. Well, except that, for a while, I was the Green Goblin.

Yeah, the Green Goblin. You know, that kelly-colored maniac you always read about in the Daily Bugle giving Spider-Man a hard time? Except, I was different. I was, like, a super hero instead of a super psycho. But that didn't go down too well, so here I am, regular ol' Philip Urich again. Yeah, just another guy with absolutely no clue about how to survive in the outdoors…

How I wish I had my powers now! This hiking is going to be killer on my legs. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. Mind as well mosey on over and pretend to be doing something useful.

I pick up my dark green duffle-bag, army sort, as I pass the end of the camper. I pick it up and almost collapse from the weight. Funny, this stuff never seemed so heavy before! I look inside to make sure nothing's amiss. No, it's all there. My Goblin gear, the costume with the busted-out mask, the exploding pumpkins, the razor bats, and those gas-ghost things. Man, I don't know why I even kept this. I clearly remember taking it all down to the street and throwing it in the nearest trash can. I swore to myself that it was time to put my toys away and be a real man. So I walked out of there and left it all behind me just like that. And then… I just had to run back and pull it all out again! Not that I've ever been able to find another use for it but, you know, just in case. But now is one time when I wish that I hadn't. I lug the heavy thing over to where Jenny is, trying desperately to fix the car's engine. I love a girl who's good with fixing things. Kinda wish I was. Good at fixing things, I mean, not a girl.

Jenny picks her head up from under the hood and studies me. "I see you've already got the general idea," she says. "There's no way I can fix this. We're going to have to walk somewhere and get help. Though I'm sure you can leave that heavy bag behind. I don't think anybody's going to take it. What do you even keep in there anyway?"

I clam up. "Stuff…" I mumble. Dork! "I keep all my camping stuff in here. I really wouldn't feel very good about leaving it all alone out here. It might be useful if we can't find any towns." Yeah, right!

But Jenny seems to get it. She nods and dashes around the side of the car. Soon she's back, with her (much smaller) bag under her shoulder. Without saying another word to me, she goes off in a random direction and I have to run after her to keep up. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't jogging or anything, but she takes such big footsteps. Anyway, she's darting from here to there and everywhere, behind this tree and that, like she must really be getting into this or something. Yeah, or something.

Me? Well, not so much. I try to keep up as best I can, but with each twist and turn I manage to fall much farther behind. Before I know it, I've lost sight of her completely.

"Jenny!" I call out. "Jenny, where are you?"

No answer.

So what the heck am I supposed to do now?

* * *

Kate and Garth were leading the pack, chasing down a large herd of caribou. One seemed to fall behind the rest and was soon isolated. Kate seized the opportunity and leapt into the air, coming down hard on this creature. Suddenly, however, she herself was knocked down. Jumping to her feet, she growled fiercely as she looked for the culprit.

It was someone she did not recognize. A small wolf, though evidently not without power, was biting at the caribou. He looked completely undernourished, but that must have been deceptive, for he had kept up his strength. But not enough to prevent Kate from knocking him to the ground as she reclaimed her place over the caribou.

This sickly-pale furred wolf growled, showing off his very sharp and rigid fangs. "Back off, sister," he said. "This here meat's ours."

"Yours?" she responded. "Sorry, but we're the ones who caught it. It's ours!"

"You gonna make something of it?"

"If you won't let us take what's rightfully ours, then yeah."

The small wolf smiled. "Then who's to say what's rightfully yours? I got a few friends here who would beg to disagree."

Out of the shadows stepped two more wolves. One was black and of average build, though slightly on the muscular side. He had an arrogant smile. No trouble there, but the other was much more disconcerting. He was a brown and seemed not so much a wolf as a boar, for so large and savage was he. Even his mane and fur bristled like that of the boar and the fire of the boar was in his eyes.

Garth stepped forward. "Look, I don't know who you people are, but we aren't looking for trouble. Just let us take our meat and we can all leave in one piece."

"I'll show you leaving in one piece!" shouted the boar. He then charged at Garth. Even the Alpha's firm strength could not prevent him from being thrown to the ground. Kate instinctively rushed to aid against the foe but she soon fell beside Garth.

"The only way you two are leaving in one piece is in coffins!" the big wolf grunted, prompting laughter from his companions.

* * *

I don't know how long I've been walking. It feels like hours have passed. I look at my watch to check. What? Only thirty minutes? Whatever, I never much trusted this one, anyway. But I keep going, calling out for Jenny. Like with most of my life, I get nowhere. Finally, I decide to resign myself to despair, at least until this pain in my legs stops. What? All this walking is hard work!

As I sit upon the stump of an old tree, I suddenly hear something. Could it be… voices? Jenny? No, not Jenny. There are more than one… and it sounds like they're arguing! They could be our ticket out of here! Or… they could be psychos who are just looking for a fight! (If I were still you-know-who, we'd probably get along fine!) Suddenly, I find myself torn between going toward them and getting outta Dodge while I still have the chance.

I make out a female voice and then a male one. The female sounds fine but that guy… I don't like his tone. Another guy steps in, sounds like he's on the side of the girl. Guess chivalry isn't dead, after all.

Wait, now I hear a different voice! And I really don't like the sound of this one! It doesn't even sound human!

And then it sounds like a fight breaks out. Instinctively, I run toward the noise. Oh man, this past year in the Goblin gig has given me a seriously inconvenient sense of responsibility! I still don't see anything, but the voices are getting closer. Finally, it's like I'm right there.

And then I hear that… thing say, "The only way you two are leaving in one piece is in coffins!"

You don't need to be an investigative reporter like my Uncle Ben to figure out the meaning of that!

What do I do? What do I do? Again, I act on instinct. I grab at my large duffle bag – I'm still carrying the thing? – and pull back the zipper. My hand fumbles inside until – bingo!

Out comes a giant jack-o'-latern with a serious attitude problem. I push in the little stem on top and smoke begins seeping from the evil eyes and the fanged grin, soon followed by red and orange flames. Winding up, I give my best straight-ball, sending the pumpkin head flying straight into... the trees?

I must be the world's biggest dork!

* * *

The boar-wolf advanced on Kate and Garth as both tried to struggle to their feet. His large jaws pulled back into a fiendish grin, as though he was looking at two pieces of meat he would now devour. Neither Kate nor Garth was willing to give up and resign themselves to that fate. But it did not seem that they would be able to get up on their feet soon enough to prevent it.

Hutch and Can-do jumped in front of them but each was easily knocked aside. The two beta wolves would have advanced again but the small wolf and the black one smashed into them from the side and rendered them unconscious. Turk focused once again on Kate and Garth and seemed to be readying himself for the big pounce which would spell the end of both of them.

And then, the din of an explosion rang through the wilderness.

"What was that?" the small wolf said, practically shivering with anxiety.

"Relax, Razor," said the black wolf. "It was probably just some kids blowing off firecrackers or something."

"Firecrackers? But this is supposed to be a protected park!" Kate said.

"Like I care," the black wolf snapped. "The important thing is that it doesn't concern us. Turk, get back to finishing off these two while Razor and I take care of this caribou."

Turk continued his slow advance. He was very obviously playing with them, hoping that some glimmer of fear would appear in their eyes before he made his final move. Garth glanced nervously toward Kate, who merely bared her teeth toward Turk. Whatever happened, she was not going to go down without a fight.

And another explosion. This one closer.

"Did you hear that?" Razor screamed. "Did you hear that?"

"Relax," the black wolf said.

"But, Hotshot, that was really close! I mean, they could be right on top of us!"

"Don't be silly–"

Hotshot's words were interrupted by another boom, this time coming from just to the right of them, as evidenced by the flames shooting up a nearby tree.

"Maybe you're right," Hotshot said, attempting to maintain a veneer of calmness. "Let's get out of here! Turk, leave them for another day!"

Turk seemed dejected, about as dejected as a monster could seem. "We will finish this," he said to Kate and Garth before turning and following the other two. Without much hesitation, as the fire disappeared in a cloud of smoke, the three ran off deep into the forest.

Kate and Garth looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. But the ordeal was not over. They both heard the sound of footsteps cracking twigs behind the formerly-burning tree. Together, they prepared to pounce on this new foe.

* * *

Finally, three pumpkin bombs later and it seems like it's got those people's attention. I just heard them running off into the woods. And it only took my completely poor aim and three potential wildfires to do it! Luckily, I still have a few gas-releasing ghosts, which were able to choke the flames. It's an old trick from my green period. After all, as Smokey says, only I can prevent forest fires. Yeah, right…

And then it occurs to me that there may still be people there. They may be injured and need help! As much as I want to conclude that my work here is done and bag it for the nearest sign of civilization, I know I have to stay and at least make sure that nobody's too badly injured.

As I'm about to walk into full view, I step on a twig.

"Did you hear that?" the man goes.

"Yeah. It could be another threat," the woman answered.

A threat? Moi? Who do they think they're foolin'?

"We have to be ready to face it," she says.

"Are you up to it?" he goes. "You took a pretty bad hit."

"So did you… but we still have to defend ourselves and our home! Whatever comes through there, we'll be ready to pounce!"

Pounce? On me? I'm starting to wonder if this was such a good idea. Well, I'm already in this mess, so I might as well try to keep them from pounding me into the dirt. My only hope is to win them over with my boyish good looks and winning personality.

I am so doomed!

But I've got no other choice. So I say, "Don't pounce on me! I'm here to help!"

And I step into the glade.


	2. How to Deal with a Human in Jasper Park

Kate and Garth remained apprehensive as this person approached.

"Don't pounce on me! I'm here to help!" he had said.

"That's what they all say," Kate whispered to Garth. Neither straightened themselves up from their pouncing position. They growled, their teeth curled into a sign of warning. But the intruder kept coming. It looked as though another battle might be in the offing.

And then a young man stepped into the glade. Kate and Garth's faces both lost their snarls, instead becoming pictures of confusion. He did not look much like a threat. This person could not be over twenty-five, in human years. He was tall, but also rather scrawny, and did not look like he would have the power to squash a bug. His brown-hair fell over his face, partially obscuring one eye, causing Kate to briefly catch a mental image of how her sister used to wear her mane. The man, or more accurately, the boy's blue eyes were filled with terror. He obviously was not going to be much of threat.

The more pressing question was how he had heard and understood him.

"Who are you?" Kate demanded. "How did you hear us?"

"How could a human hear us?" Garth said. "How could one understand us?"

"That's what I aim to find out!"

* * *

Talking wolves! I'm standing across from two ever-lovin', honest-to-goodness, whatever other silly phrase fits the situation, talking wolves! What the heck am I supposed to do now?

Don't get me wrong. When I was the Goblin, this sort of thing would be par of the course. But nothing like this happens to puny, average Philip Urich! What do I say? What do I do? My head is spinning and not in a good way.

I decide to just start with the basics. "Hi! My name is Philip Urich and I'm…" Then I remember that I can't end that statement my usual way anymore.

"You're… what exactly?" the woman… I mean, the female wolf says. Apparently, she's not impressed by my song and dance. Can't blame her, neither am I!  
"I'm… I'm…" Think, Philip, think! "I'm… totally lost out here! Does anybody know the way to the nearest town?"

Admittedly, not the smoothest comeback, but it gets the job done.

"That doesn't answer the question," the girl says (I can still call her a girl, right?).

"How can you tell what we're saying?" the guy goes, his tone all of a sudden just as hard as hers.

"Wha… what do you mean?" I say. "Why are you speaking English?"

"We're not!" they say together. Like I'm supposed to believe that.

Unless… I can understand wolf! Nah, can't be.

But what if…

"Look," I say, "I don't know what's happening but all I know is that I'm hearing English. What about you?"

"Of course we're hearing English," the red guy says, "we know English even if we don't speak it."

Okay, now I'm just confused. So I shrug and decide to head back on my way… somewhere.

"Wait," the female says, more ordering than suggesting. "You need to come with us. This has never happened before and I want to ask mom and dad for advice."

I turn back around. "Do I have a choice? I mean, is there any way you wouldn't kidnap me if I said I didn't want to go."

They look at each other. The male shakes his head slowly at the female, who nods in agreement. She looks at me. "No, we won't kidnap you, but if you don't come with us, how are you ever going to get out of this forest? It's very, very large."

She has a point! I probably would never get out of here.

"Okay," I say. "I'll go."

Now I notice two other wolves getting up and I see a deer – I think it's a deer – force itself up and run off.

The original two do not seem interested in either of these events. They both just have their eyes locked on me. "Did you cause those explosions?" the brown female asks.

Well, yeah! But I'm not about to tell you that. Some secrets are worth keeping.

"What explosions?" I say.

"The one that set that tree on fire, for instance."

I look up as she nods toward it. The green gas has almost completely disappeared, lifting my spirits. "It doesn't look on fire to me," I say.

"It was a moment ago."

"If it was, how come it's gone?"

"It was that… green mist or something," the red one says. "That caused it to go out."

I smile weakly. "Well, I'm not a magician," I say. "I just can't magically put out fires."

They look at each other; I don't think they wholly trust me. But they make no more mention of it. By now, however, the other two wolves look almost shell-shocked. They look from me to my new friends and back again… several times. Finally, they have the sense to ask what's going down and we get another rundown of the circumstances from the female.

"This is highly irregular," says the one with the awesome facial markings. "I don't know if we should let a human into our valley. You remember what happened the last time, Kate?"

I'm really hoping the girl's name is Kate. Anyway, Kate, or whoever she is, says, "I know, but we really don't have any other choice here. We can't just let him leave and tell the world that there are talking wolves here."

"Really, I can keep a secret," I say. If only they knew how true that statement is!

Finally, the white-faced wolf nods, as does his little friend. But the little guy still has something to say, "What about the caribou?"

"We'll get 'em later," says the red one. "This is much more important. If one human can understand us, then who knows who else can! The safety of the pack is at stake!"

Kate now looks at me. "Okay, let's go. Come with us, human."

"My name is Philip," I say.

"Whatever, Phil. Just come on."

I love a woman with attitude! A female wolf, not so much…

* * *

Lilly and Humphrey were among the first to rush to the edge of the valley when the hunting party returned. The little white Omega wolf bounded past her taller comrade and came up to meet Garth as he returned. She licked his face playfully but stopped when he did not respond. Something was not right. He was not excited and cheerful like he was after a good hunt, but neither did he seem disappointed as he did on the few occasions when the hunt went poorly. Rather, he seemed solemn and serious. Lilly slowly backed away. Humphrey came up next to her but did not even go to Kate. And then they saw that there was no caribou with them. Instead, there was a human.

Humphrey's jaw dropped. Lilly did not know what to do, but then the human glanced at her and gave her a weak smile. She quickly hid behind Humphrey. Neither of them moved as this strange train went past.

Kate and Garth conducted the human onward toward the little mountain where her parents' den was located. They paid no attention, or at least tried not to, at the many stares and gasps that greeted them. Kate looked back to see the human, Philip Urich, looking uneasily at each of the wolves they passed. He held on tightly to the green duffle bag strapped over his shoulder, though it seemed very difficult for him to carry. He seemed to chuckle a little, but that was clearly out of nervousness rather than any sense of humor in his surroundings.

The climbed the winding pathway around the mountain. After they had only gone a short ways up, Philip cried, "Stop!"

"What is it?" Kate said, darting her head around, expecting a serious problem. She saw instead that Philip was out of breath and was desperately gasping for air.

"I… I need a rest," he said.

She rolled her eyes. But, after consideration, she nodded. It would be better to let the human catch his breath so that his answers to her parents were more than just unintelligible gasps. When he recovered, they started up again, but had to stop several more times to allow him to rest. Each time he did so, the large crowd of wolves following got a little bit closer and seemed to watch a little bit more intensely. It was a very long climb.

When the cliff outside her parents' den, Kate called out, "Mom, dad, I need to talk to you!"

Immediately, Winston, an old, proud, grey wolf, stepped out of his dwelling. He was followed by Eve, an older, stouter image of her daughter. They both smiled, both full of pride, when they saw Kate. However, it quickly faded as they saw the human walking cautiously along behind her.

A rush of anger filled Eve's eyes, more directed at the human than her daughter, while Winston just looked perplexed.

"We have a problem," Kate said quietly.

"I'll say we have a problem," Eve said. "What is a human doing here?"

"It's a very long story," Kate said.

* * *

Well, you really got yourself into another fine situation, didn't you, Philip? And this time, you don't even have your powers to get you out of it! Why does this always happen to me? First Ricko the Sicko – without him I never would have needed the Green Goblin gig in the first place – then the Hobgoblin and Angel Face – both grade-A psychos who fixated on me as their arch-enemy – and now a whole pack of talking wolves who, by their sideways glances toward me, are none too thrilled by becoming Canada's newest tourist attraction.

"This is very serious," the old gray wolf – I think they called him Winston – says. "We have never allowed a human this close into our valley before. We may have to think long and hard about what to do with him."

The old brown wolf – I think she's named Eve – then adds, "I say we tear his spine out and shove it back down his throat!" Charming! I've landed among not only a bunch of talking wolves, but a bunch of _psycho _talking wolves! The ol' Urich luck comes through again!

I realize that I have to start seriously looking at my options in case they decide that I'm the main course on tonight's dinner menu – the nightly special, no doubt; filet of dork! – and I have to make a break for my life. Well, let's see, what do I have that they don't?

Strength? No.

Speed? No.

Cunning and intelligence? Who am I kidding?

A bag full of nasty Goblin tricks just waiting to be unloaded? Bingo!

I decide in a heartbeat that, if worse comes to worse, I'll unzip my duffle bag and just start hurling pumpkin bombs and gas-ghosts behind me as I run wildly toward any form of escape. Not a full-proof plan by any means but, well, I got nothing else. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time that uncoordinated chaos and a ton of luck have got me out of a life-threatening situation. But still, this whole valley's filled with these wolves! This might be the most dangerous place I've been since Murderworld! Come to think of it, maybe I'd rather be facing off against Arcade and his toys right now.

On second thought, scratch that…

Winston continues speaking. "Kate, I think you should tell us how this happened. Leading a human to us is a very serious action and could be the death of us all if we're not careful. But I trust that you had a good reason. You say that he stumbled upon you? And that he speaks our language?

Kate nods. "You see, dad, we got into a fight with these three other wolves–"

"Other wolves? But there are no other packs around for at least two-hundred miles."

"I don't think these guys were a pack. Probably just scavengers. There was a giant brown one, a scrawny white one, and a black one who I think was their leader. They wanted our caribou but we wouldn't give it to them. So, they tried to take it and we fought and the big one got the upper hand and then…"

Winston eyes the girl, Kate. He seems almost suspicious, but I think he trusts her. It's me he's worried about, I think. When do I come into this little adventure?

"Then, all of a sudden, there were these explosions. They scared the other wolves off and we were left alone. And then he showed up. I don't know why. He says he came to help and that he didn't cause the explosions…"

Hold on! I didn't say that I didn't cause the explosions! I just never said that I did, is all!

On second thought, now's probably not the best time to clarify grammatical misunderstandings.

Winston sighed. "A human in our home and now we have to worry about wolves making trouble, too? Well, first things first. Kate, what is your opinion of this human? What do your instincts tell you about him? Do you trust him?"

"Hey, this human is standing right here," I say. They all glare at me. I slap my forehead as I realize that I've probably lost any chance of winning their trust. Dork!

Kate turns back to her dad. "I don't trust him." She doesn't even try to say it low enough that I won't hear. "There's too much unexplained about him. Like, why did he show up just at that time? How can he understand our language? What is he going to do if we let him go, now that he knows all about us?"

Good questions! Wish I knew the answers!

Winston nods. "That is exactly what I was thinking. Humphrey, Lilly, you might as well come in here too. You'll be leading the pack some day with Kate and Garth."

Huh? Well, that's a strange thought progression! Oh, wait, I notice two of the wolves I saw earlier walking past me. They must have been waiting at the other end of the cliff, near the pathway. The gray guy walks past without looking at me, though I think maybe because of – fear? Really? You jokin'? Then comes the dainty white girl I saw next to him. She tries to scamper past without looking, but can't resist getting a peek. I smile at her again – I don't know why I do it. I guess it's because she just seems so frightened and vulnerable. (What? I've got a caring heart in here somewhere!) In fact, she kinda looks exactly as I feel in this situation. But, no good deed goes unpunished. She shivers and whimpers when she sees it, and quickly turns her visible eye away from me. She high-tails it away from me and runs behind Eve, who now looks like she's figuring out the best way to remove my vital organs.

Winston walks up to me. For an old guy, he's sure fast. I don't even notice until he's right in front of me.

"Young man," he says.

I take a moment to get it. "Oh, you mean me!"

"Do you see any other young men here?"

"Well… no. Not exactly…"

Winston shakes his head in what I think is disgust (I can't blame him!) and continues, "I see that you understand what I am saying. Do you have any idea how this is possible?"  
I shrug. "Beats me."

"Surely, you must have some inkling."

I scratch my head, trying to think of any other occasion when I showed Dr. Doolittle tendencies. Nothing occurs.

"No," I say. "Can't come up with anything."

Winston looks me in the eye, long and hard, a bit like my Uncle Ben when I've forgotten to do my filing. Kinda creepy, I never thought a wolf could do that before!

"Okay," he says. "Then what, in your opinion, makes you special."

I nearly burst out laughing. What makes me special? Me?

"I'm not special at all," I say. "There's never been anything special about me."

And I'm not lying. Even when I was the Green Goblin I was completely useless. I never made the mark on the New York super-jock community that I wanted to and I don't think anybody's mourning the fact that the heroic Green Goblin hasn't shown up in a while. Besides, I think, like, every other person in my high school has been a costumed jock at some time or another. It's like, _a phase_ that people go through until they get something better in their life. Except that I haven't found anything better.

Winston doesn't seem to buy it. "Okay, Philip, if you are not special, then how do you explain the fact that we can communicate?"  
"I just have such a welcoming personality?" I say with a weak smile. The grey wolf, Humphrey, chuckles. And I'm glad somebody is finally warming up to me.

"Honey, do you want me to rip his throat out?" Eve says with a very dark smile directed at me. I'm not ashamed to say that I shiver a bit as I see it.

"Not till we get some more information from him, dear," Winston says. My hero! "Well, then, if you don't have an answer, can you at least tell us what you were doing up in this part of Jasper. Humans never set foot here alone."

I've chuckle a bit to hide my jitters – I always laugh when I'm nervous – and begin my tale, "Well, y'see, I came up here with my girlfriend, Jenny…"  
Jenny! I forgot all about her! Who knows where she's gotten to by now! On the plus-side, she can't be any worse off than I currently am.

"Yeah, Jenny. We were up here doing some hiking. She's a big outdoors nut. Me, I'd be happy just watching a Rangers game on the T.V. But not her! No, she's one to really–"

"Please get on with it, Philip."

"Oh, right, he he. I mean, me and her came up here but then our camper broke down and we went to find help. Then I got separated from her and just kind of wandered until I found you guys. I heard voices of somebody sounding like they needed help and when I got there I found that you were all talking wolves."

Kate rolls her eyes. "You make it sound like we're the only ones in existence. All wolves talk, you humans just can't understand us!"

"I see," says Winston. He's got such a good poker face that I can't tell whether he believes me or not.

"I still say we tear out his spine," Eve says.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I mumble.

And then I realize that I said that out loud. Huge mistake! Eve starts walking toward me, almost like she's stalking her pray. Wait, that's exactly what she's doing! Her teeth grow big and wide and her mouth curls into a snarl. I hear a low growling coming from her. Her eyes are vicious and evil. I am so going to die!

Unless…

I immediately pull my duffle bag up beside me and pull down the zipper. Wiggling my hand discretely inside, I feel around until I nearly cut myself on some sharp edge. A razor-bat! Perfect! I grab a hold of it as she comes toward me, waiting for the perfect opportunity to "make my point," if you will.

"I don't think we should maul him just yet," Winston said. "There is still too much which confuses me."

Eve shows no signs of stopping. She continues toward me and I grip my razor-bat tighter. But then, suddenly, she stops and smiles warmly at Winston. "Okay, but I get first dibs when you're done!"

"I'll make a note of it," Winston says, with just enough caution in his voice to suggest that he doesn't want to get on his wife's – I can call her his wife, right? – bad side. Again, I can't blame him.

So, I relax and turn my less-that-steely gaze toward the other wolves. And then I notice it – Kate's got her eyes squarely on my bag and the arm disappearing into it. All that nicely dissipated tension returns in a flash.

"What's in the bag, Phil?" she asks with an oh-so-innocuous voice.

"What? Ah…" Smooth. "It's… it's just my camping stuff. You know, something to sleep in during a cold night under the stars, some emergency things in case of emergencies like floods or locusts, first-aid, stuff like that."

"Then you wouldn't mind showing us." Man, she's not going to give up.

"Um… yeah… it's just that, I don't really like strange wolf-people digging around in my personal stuff. I mean, how would you like it if some human just came and started poking around your jammies?"

"What are 'jammies?' "

"Not important. I just don't like the idea of you guys looking into stuff that is, well, for my eyes only."

"Sounds suspicious to me," she says.

I smile as best I can. "C… come on, guys? Does a puny little Mister Average like me look like he's got a bunch of killer weapons or some type of death-suit in his carry-on?"

Kate looks me up and down and shrugs. "Maybe not."

"Well," Winston says, "until we can learn more, I don't think we can do anything. I want to have a better understanding before coming to judgment."

I let out a sigh of relief. And then I realize it may be misplaced. "Excuse me, your highness," I say, "but what does that mean for me?"

Winston looks back at me, as though he had forgotten I'm here. Which doesn't surprise me. He says, "Of course, we can't let you leave the valley until we've got this sorted out. But do not worry, we are very fair here. You'll be safe until we've determined the truth of your story. Kate, show Philip to the unused den on the side of the mountain. I'm putting you in charge of guarding him. I want a wolf at the door of that den at all times." He now turns toward the red wolf. "Garth, go inform your father about what has happened. I want to meet with him as soon as possible. Hutch, Can-do, go tell the other wolves that the human is not to be interacted with without my say-so. Is everybody clear?"

And with a nod, the wolves embark on their assigned tasks. Kate walks over to me and bites at my sleeve. "Come on, you," she says.

"Okay, I'm comin', I'm coming," I say. Like I have any choice!


	3. Hotshot Makes His Move

Kate led the human down the side of the mountain toward an old den which had been unoccupied since before she was born. She maintained a steady, sure pace, but her eyes drifted over the landscape. The trees were beautiful in the summer sun, and she wished that she could be doing anything other than this. But the safety of the pack relied on her, though if she had had her way, they wouldn't even be holding this human. She did not trust him; like her mother, a part of her already wanted him dead.

"Wow, you actually live in these things?" Kate was broken out of her thoughts by the human, Philip. He was examining one of the wolf-dens as they walked past. There, an old wolven couple turned their backs in fear as he gawked at them.

"What is everybody so afraid of?" he said.

Kate rolled her eyes but did not bother to look at him. "How about the fact that a strange human suddenly appears, is able to speak our language, and claims not to know anything about it."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Kate wheeled on him. "Listen, I don't know who you are or what you're up to, but if you put this pack in jeopardy in any way, there won't be enough left of you for my mother to maul. I'll do it first!"

The human jumped back and held himself as far away from her as he could. He chuckled a little, which she now knew he did whenever he was nervous. It was annoying.

Kate sighed. "Come on."

Finally, they made it to the den and Kate walked inside. Cautiously, Philip followed. "You act like you're afraid," Kate said.

"Yeah, me and big, dark, scary places don't really get along that well," he said.

"Tough, because this is your home for however long we need to find out what you're really up to. So you might as well get comfy."

He put his duffle bag on the ground and sat on top of it, looking around at his new abode. Kate turned her back on him and sat at the entrance, silently praying that Hutch or Can-do would be along soon to relieve her.

"So… what's the food like here?" Philip said from behind her.

"You'll get a portion of caribou like the rest of us," she answered.

"Caribou? What, like raw?"  
Kate shook her head "Of course. How else do you eat caribou?"

"I don't know, maybe… cooked? You know, warm and without all sorts of dangerous bacteria?"  
"If you're going to be like that, you don't have to eat it. You can always starve."

"Oh. When you put it like that…"

And he was quiet for a while. But then, "Do I get to go outside?"  
"No, you stay in there until we've decided what to do with you."  
"Not even for some exercise? This is cruel and unusual punishment! Add that to the kidnapping charge."

"Be quiet. Wolves aren't accountable to human laws."

And he was quiet for a while. But then, "What if I have to go to the bathroom?"

Kate gave him a 'what do you think?' look over her shoulder.

"You don't mean?" he said. "Not really? You do? Gross-ville!"

And there was silence again. But it did not last long. "Okay, what if I get bored?"

"Then find some way of amusing yourself!" Kate could barely contain her annoyance.

And then, for ten blessed minutes, not a word from the human. However, Kate knew it was too good to last.

"Kate?" he said.

"What is it?" She was not even trying to pretend not to be annoyed anymore.

"I know you're getting kinda fed up with me and everything, but I've just got one more thing to ask..."

She looked at Philip over her shoulder. He was standing right behind her. "And that is?" she asked.

He smiled. "If it's not too much trouble, could you get me a Diet Coke?"

She let out a terrible growl. Philip, surprised and terrified, staggered back and tripped over his duffle bag, falling into the darkness behind him. "I guess that's a no," he said.

Meanwhile, Garth wandered into his den and collapsed on the ground. Lilly ran up to him.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"I can't remember seeing my dad so angry," he responded. "And that includes when I told him I was in love with an Omega."

"So, is he meeting with my dad?"

"They're going to meet at the stream later tonight. And I don't envy Winston. It won't be easy calming dad down. I think, if we weren't getting married, he'd call off the union of the packs right there!"

Lilly laid down beside Garth and nuzzled him. "Well, now that's over, we can just relax…"

Garth suddenly pulled away and walked toward the front of the den. "No can do. The pack still has no caribou. And somebody needs to provide for them."  
Lilly sat up slowly. "But… but I've barely seen you for the past week! I miss you."

Garth looked at her over his shoulder, his green eyes large with love. "I know, Lilly, and I miss you too. But you know that it is the time of year when the caribou herds start thinning out. The pack needs all of us Alphas to give our all to bring in enough meat. And since Kate is guarding the human and Hutch and Cando still haven't returned from their mission yet, I'm the only one who can lead a hunt here."

Lilly sighed and lowered her head, causing her hair to fall over one eye. "I know, but… I just get so lonely."

"You have Humphrey when I'm gone, don't you?" Garth said, perplexed.

"Humphrey's usually busy with his other friends, log-sledding down the mountain. I don't really like to do that so… I'm left here all alone."

"Oh… well, then maybe we can do something later," Garth said. "Just the two of us."

Lilly lifted her head and grinned at Garth, her face ablaze. "Really? You mean it?"

"Uh-huh. We can do something special and romantic together in maybe a few days!"

Lilly's face fell. "A few… days?"

"Yeah," Garth smiled, oblivious. "Then we'll finally get all that time to ourselves that we want. At least until the next hunt, of course." And, feeling quite happy with himself, he walked out of the den. "Bye, honey, don't wait up!"

"I won't," Lilly said quietly as she turned away from the light.

Later that night, Winston and Tony met by the stream, its gentle lapping at odds with the tension rising in the air. Winston offered Tony a friendly smile, but the old orange wolf did not lose his scowl.

"Is it true what Garth said?" Tony asked, his voice barely under a shout. "Is there really a human in our valley?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Winston said. He did not know how to put that in a way Tony would find less offensive.

"I don't understand it! How could your daughter let this happen?"

"My daughter? What do you mean my–" Winston caught himself. As insulted as he felt, he could not let this degenerate into a shouting match. Collecting himself, he said, "I don't think it was either Kate or Garth's fault. This was a circumstance none of us could have predicted. We had plans for avoiding humans but we've never met ones who could talk to us!"

Tony sighed and sat down at the water's edge. "I know. It's just that I'm worried about the future of the pack. I don't know if they're ready to take over leadership. I just don't know if they'd be able to handle a crisis without us."

"Maybe not yet but they will be eventually. That is our job now, to teach them how to lead on their own, without us. We won't be around forever and I think they're beginning to understand that."

"Yeah, maybe. Still, about this human. Does he seem dangerous?"

Winston smiled.

Tony studied him, not sure of what to make of it. "Well, is he a danger to our pack? You know men cannot be trusted."

Winston nodded but continued to smile. "I do not trust him but I also do not find him much of a threat."

Tony's face was filled with conclusion. "Have you gone soft in the head?"

"I'm not that ready for retirement. It is just that, from what I've seen of him, this man strikes me as a buffoon. Whatever his intentions, he probably wouldn't even know how to do real harm."

Tony nodded, though he did not seem convinced.

"My real concern," Winston continued, "is what he might say when he gets back out into the human world. He might say things that he shouldn't – he has a habit of doing that – and something might slip out about us here. Then humans from all over would be coming to capture, maybe even kill us. That's the problem we need to solve."

"Why don't you just have Eve tear his throat out?'

"She's already offered. But, this pack has to be governed by fairness. And it would not be very fair to kill him for no fault of his own."

"You always were a stickler for the big-hearted approach. Fine, I'll let you do what you think best for now. But if he starts causing trouble–"

"Then we'll deal with it when it comes. But for now, everybody, even a human, deserves a fair chance."

And then, a voice from the bushes, "Ooh look, Hotshot, there are the two old pack-leaders, just shooting the breeze!"

This was followed by another, "I see them, Razor. Why don't we be neighborly and introduce ourselves?"

And the black wolf and his scrawny friend stepped out of the leaves, with the big brown wolf lumbering out behind them.

"And who are you three jokers?" Tony barked.

"Ooh, what's with the overt hostility?" the black wolf, Hotshot, said.

"Yeah, we never done you any harm!" Razor added with a snicker.

"Now, boys," Winston said, pretending to be civil. In his mind he recognized the three as the same wolves who had attacked his daughter but there was no need to play his cards just yet. "I know every wolf in this valley but I haven't seen the three of you around before. You visiting somebody or just passing through?"

Hotshot walked over, a sickening smile on his face. "Neither, pops. We're here for something quite different. You see, I like to consider myself a business-wolf, an entrepreneur, a captain of industry, if you will. Now, I've been scouting these here parts and I think this is the perfect place for me and my – shall we say 'executive vice presidents' – to set up shop."

"And just what is your 'industry'?" Winston asked, apprehensive.

Hotshot grinned. "It's a very simple business model; supply-and-demand, you see. We demand and you supply. And that's it, instant profit!"

"And if we don't agree to supply you with anything?" Tony said, not even bothering to suppress a snarl.

Hotshot now looked at Tony, his eyes trying to bore a hole in the old wolf, hoping to intimidate him. "Well, that would be rather unfortunate, because then I would have to send somebody to enforce corporate policy. And you know what happens then." Hotshot nodded toward Turk, who crushed a fallen tree branch with a mighty stomp. "I like to call it downsizing."

But Tony was not afraid. "You dare threaten us, you miscreants? We're not afraid of you and your empty threats!"

Hotshot seemed delighted by this show of bravado. "Oh, there's nothing empty about them. Like my pocketbook, they're full and overflowing. We take disobedience from our work-force very seriously."

"I don't think, if you want us to work with you, that attacking my daughter and his son was a very good way to begin the relationship," Winston said, finally ready to reveal that he already knew his enemies.

"Some people just need to be shown their place."

"Before that, we would have accepted you as friends. You would have been welcome in our valley. But after what you did, we can never allow you to remain here."

Hotshot now shoved his face into Winston's. His eyes burned with a sort of joyous rage, the look Winston only ever knew from Eve when she got an opportunity to pound someone into the ground. He assumed that Hotshot had the same intentions.

"You don't have a choice, gramps," Hotshot said. "From now on, we own you. We own all the wolves in your little 'pack.' And we own this valley. We own the caribou and we decide who gets what share of the meat. If anybody doesn't like it, they'll be food for the worms! Which we also own!"

Winston maintained his composure. As Hotshot drew back, Winston glanced at Tony, who seemed as stalwart as ever. Silently, they both stood there, like two rocks defying their attackers with their silent immovability.  
"What, no snappy comebacks?" Hotshot said. "Ah, I'm disappointed. But don't worry, we'll be seeing ya soon enough. And then maybe we can work out the terms of our 'arrangement.' " And then he and his cronies slunk back into the bushes, gone as soon and as suddenly as they'd come.

Winston and Tony exchanged glances.

"Tony, old friend," Winston said, "it looks like the human is no longer our foremost concern."


	4. Confrontation

I sit here in the darkness as everybody else goes to sleep. Well, at least I assume they do. Y'see, I'm trapped in this cave here with a wolf guarding the one and only exit. It's gotten so quiet outside that I think he's the only one still awake. He's been only guarding me for, I think, thirty minutes, having relieved another one. I wish I could tell you who he is or what his function is but, after having seen them come and go all day, they all start to look alike. He is, however, completely silent and serious so I won't be getting any sterling conversation. He doesn't even seem to acknowledge my existence. (Why should he? I wouldn't.)

So, I turn away from him and back toward my bag. With nothing else to do, I unzip the thing and rummage around. Finally, my hand falls over the wrinkles and contours of my old Goblin face. I pull the mask out from the bag. Sitting myself down on the bag, I stare at my mask, tracing every single one of its sharp, angular protrusions. I remember the way things used to be, when I could put on this mask and suddenly I was like a completely different person, with the strength of a freight train and the agility of an Olympic athlete. It was a life I had never dreamed possible and one that, try as I might, I just couldn't forget. But it's all gone now.

Believe it or not, this mask was the source of all my powers. True, I fell into that vat of Goblin serum, which is the chemical developed by Norman Osborn, the original Green Goblin, that gives a Goblin all those nifty powers. Problem was that Harry Osborn (Green Goblin #2 for those of you playing along at home) decided it would be a really nifty idea to periodically deliver electric shocks to his own head. So he goes and creates a batch which can only be activated by this new prototype Goblin mask that sends a few thousand volts into the wearer's brain. Why did he do it, you ask? Simple, he was crazy.

What, that's not good enough of a reason for you? Well, apparently, he figured that, combined with his original dose of Goblin Formula, the new batch would heighten his powers whenever he needed that extra edge. Unfortunately (maybe?) his original dose of the green chemical cocktail killed him before he could try out the new version. So, when I stumbled into the vat of green goo, I only got part-time powers. And what was worse, Harry kicked the bucket before being able to make anything but his prototype shock-mask. So, when that one got taken out of commission, that was bye-bye for my super-hero career.

Still not making sense? Well, like I said, old' Harr' was crazy!

But ever since that day, I keep finding myself asking the question: What the heck am I supposed to do now?

After running this through my head a few times, I get incredibly sleepy and lay down with my head on the bag and my mask in my hands. It's not exactly a five-star accommodation, but somehow or other, I manage to fall asleep.

* * *

Lilly pranced happily around the outside of her den. "Oh, Garth, what's taking you so long?" she said playfully. "Don't you want to go on a stroll with me?'

Garth yawned as he slowly lumbered out of the den. "Yeah… I do… but I'm just so tired after… last night."

He had gotten in very late in the evening. The caribou population of the greater area had gotten wind of the previous day's fiasco and headed as far from the valley as possible. It had taken the better part of the night for Garth and his Betas to track them down and bring something back for the pack to have in the morning.

Lilly, awoken by his arrival, made him promise to take a stroll with her in the morning before she would let him get some sleep.

Now, however, he seemed happy that she did. Even though he looked quite weary, he couldn't help but smile as he saw her standing there, wagging her bushy white tail. He found his strength as he stood beside her. The sun caught her purple eyes and made them seem a phantasmagoria of lavender light. Garth nuzzled her as the set out down the path.

But things could not be, for soon Hutch was seen running toward them.

"What is it, Hutch?"

"There's an emergency! Those wolves you and Kate encountered yesterday, they're in the valley and they're making demands!"

"What?" Garth was at once both shocked and angry. "Take me there!"

Hutch nodded and ran down the mountain, Garth following not far behind, his earlier lethargy now all forgotten.

A solitary tear fell from Lilly's eye. With as much strength as she could muster, she slowly went after them.

* * *

_I am free again. I soar through the skies of New York on my goblin glider, lighting up the night with the glow of my pumpkin bombs. I let out a blood-curdling laugh as I streak across the face of New York City's tallest sky-scrapers. Below me, the world seems like such a small place, far away and distant. All of my cares, all of my worries, they were back in that world. Up here, I have my own private paradise, my island of serenity the size of a giant bat. I have never felt happier than I do right now._

_And then the Hobgoblin attacks._

_The orange-and-blue maniac appears out of nowhere and sends a pumpkin bomb swirling in my direction. I barely manage to glide out of the way and offer a few razor-bats in return. Hobby gets to understand the Swiss-cheese experience, but doesn't take too kindly to it. It only manages to make him madder. Thinking quickly, I zoom my glider toward his at full speed, hoping to take him by surprise with a direct assault. Unfortunately, he side-steps (er, side-glides?) out of the way and I go straight for a nearby building._

_I manage to turn myself around just in time to avoid hitting it, but my luck doesn't improve much. In the time it takes me to do that, Hobby's managed to get me in his sights and, just as I turn around, he unloads the full force of his finger-blaster into my chest. As the pain takes over, I fall from my glider, unable to feel anything but the continual prodding of the electric beam into my heart. My only hope is to use my weapon of last resort, my dreaded…_

"Wake up, Phil!"

I sit up, pulling myself out of sleep. I see Kate standing over me, jabbing me in the chest with her paw, acting as though she's sticking it into something disgusting. I look into her eyes, harsh and cold. So her attitude toward me hasn't improved over the course of the night. Wait; from all the sun coming in, it must be morning! I can't believe I slept through the night on this rocky ground! Maybe there's something to this outdoors idea, after all!

Yeah, maybe…

"Get up, Phil!" she commands. "There's something happening with the pack and I need to get down there to see what it is!"

I slowly begin to stretch out and process her request when – oh no, my Goblin mask! I didn't put the thing back last night! Where is it? Where is it? Could Kate have found it?

I stretch my fingers on the ground all around me, trying to feel for it. After a few seconds of panicked searching, I feel a part of just barely jutting out from under my back, not nearly enough for Kate to think anything of it.

Phew! I must have rolled on top of it in my sleep.

I sit up, trying to grab the thing without being suspicious. "So, um," I say, "why do you need to wake me up? I'm not a wolf, remember?"

Kate rolls her eyes. "I know that! But, the whole pack's down there and so there's no one to guard you while I'm away. I'm going to have to take you with me!"

"Oh, okay. Sounds fresh to me." I don't really feel like arguing, so I get up and wait for Kate to lead on. As I get to my feet, Kate goes to the edge of the cave to look into the valley below. I take my chance and quickly stuff the Goblin mask into my shirt before going up beside her.

I look down into the valley and see that Kate wasn't kidding. There must be, like, two-hundred wolves down there. There's some kind of commotion just underneath the mouth. The funny thing is, nearly all of them are standing on one side while these three other ones are on the other. It's like a Mexican stand-off or something, except I don't get why they're doing it. And then I see a wolf lying in the middle. He/she/it doesn't look too hot and may actually be unconscious. I don't like how this is shaping up…

"Can-do!" Kate shouts. She immediately races down the mountain. I follow along at a suitably relaxed pace (What? Like I'm going to try and top that!) until I get down to the valley floor. From there, it's not hard to catch up with the wolves.

When I get there, I see that now Kate and Garth are at the front of the crowd with Winston and Eve. Humphrey and Lilly are a little farther back with Hutch. They all seem shocked, maybe even horrified. Can-do, indeed, is playing road-kill in the middle. There's a scrawny white wolf (not delicate like Lilly, but more like he hasn't eaten in a few years) on the other side and a black wolf, too. I guess the giant monstrosity of a wolf standing over Can-do is those guys' friend.

"What's going on?" I ask Lilly.

"Those are the three wolves that attacked Kate and Garth yesterday and caused us to lose our caribou."

"Oh, right. So I guess that's when I showed up."

Lilly looks up, apparently surprised by what I said. Seeing that it's me, she whimpers and tries to back away, instead bumping right against Humphrey and falling over.

I don't get it either…

"Now who else wants to try and tell us off?" the black wolf said. "It'll be the same to any of you if you cross us. Actually, it'll be much, much worse… Consider this a demonstration of how we deal with… discontent."

Man, I don't like the sound of that!

The black wolf continues, "You see, whatever we want, we get. Whatever you have that we want, you give to us. That's how the arrangement works. Your food, your dens, your… you get the idea. It all belongs to us!"

I now notice that the large brown wolf is staring at Lilly. Actually, more like leering. I don't like the looks of this, either. So, what can I do? I step in front of her, keeping her out of his line of sight.

My good deed doesn't go unpunished. "You there!" says the big guy, interrupting his black chum's oration. "You're a human!"

Strike one up for the wolven education system!

"Y..y…yeah," I say, with all the courage I can muster. That is to say, not very much.

"What are you doing in wolf territory, boy?"

"Just passing through, he he. Actually, I was just kinda lost and if I could just find my way out of this place I'd be happy to–"

"Shut up!" he practically roars at me. Can't say he isn't persuasive.

"Hey," says scrawny, "how's a human able to talk to us, anyway?"

The black one smiles. "An interesting question. Why don't you come out here, son?"

I don't think that's really a question. Now, all the wolves' eyes are on me. I look quickly to Winston, Eve, Kate, and Garth, but none of them seem sure how to respond. So, hesitantly, I begin to walk toward the wolf trio.

"What's your name?" the black one says as I get there.

"Philip… Philip Urich."

"Well, Mr. Urich, do you mind explaining the source of this peculiar ability of yours?"

"Um… you see…" If these other wolves didn't buy my story (and they're the good guys, I think), I just know these three will believe it about as much as a tabloid Elvis sighting. Oh well. "I really don't know. It just kinda… showed up."

"Showed up, huh?" the black wolf says. "Well, it really doesn't matter. But, Mr. Urich, I would advise you to stay out of wolf business. Just turn around and go back to wherever you come from. A human could get hurt out here in the wild…"

You know, I'm starting to get flashbacks to my relationship with Ricko the Sicko!

Everybody's waiting to see how I respond. Will I give him some witty retort? Will I unless a few fists of fury to knock his block off? Will I run screaming my head off toward the edge of the valley? None of the above. While there was a time I might have opted for the last choice, being the Goblin has ruled that out for me. I may not have my Goblin powers, but I've at least found a sense of self-respect!

So I just begin to walk away. Silently, just walking back toward the side from whence I came. Unfortunately, that's the best I can offer.

"You!" shouts the brown wolf. I look, thinking that they're calling me back over. Turns out for once I'm not somebody's number one choice of punching-bag. No, the big guy's talking directly to… Lilly?

Oh man, this just went from back to worse!

"Come on over here, cutie," he says. "I need some company."

Lilly cowers behind Humphrey, but the big wolf begins to walk in her direction.

"Leave her alone!" Garth yells as he steps toward the wolf.

"Or you'll do what, you puny pup! I could tear you apart without even trying!"

The brown wolf doesn't stop moving toward Lilly, but he's got one eye on Garth, just daring him to make trouble. And I think Garth'll do it, too. And somehow, that'll just make things worse for everybody.

I can't let this happen. I just can't! I may not have my Goblin powers any more, but all that time of playing hero's made me allergic toward innocent people (Wolves? Wolf-people?) being hurt. Somehow, the one thing I've kept from being the Goblin is this dangerous sense of responsibility. And I'm about to do one of the most undeniably boneheaded things I've ever done.

Well, nothing for it but to jump in. So, let's… er… um…

Then I remember that I never could come up with a rockin' Goblin battle-cry. Bummer.

But no time to worry about it now. With the closest thing to a fearsome scream I can muster (sounds a bit like Lilly's whimpering), I charge the brute and jump on his back.

And before I know it, I'm on the ground, with pain shooting throughout my body. I must be the world's biggest dork.

I look up to see the big guy towering over me. "You're going to pay for that, human!"

I can't move my body. Everything's gone numb. Either I damaged something real bad in the fall or I'm just too scared to move.

He stands over me, an evil grin on his face. He pulls back his paw, his large claws shining in the sun. He's about to make my face a scratching-post!

"Hey, hey, there's no need for this!" I say.

He doesn't respond.

"Really, I… I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Oh, you've made your bed, human, and now you're going to die in it."

He begins to bring down the claw. I close my eyes so that I can't see it. Anxiety takes over. I feel it welling up inside of me. And then, I can't hold it in.

"Ha ha ha." Yeah, I laughed. I always do that when I'm nervous.

And I open my eyes. The big guy's just standing there, his eyes kinda rolling around in his head like you do when you've been hit in the face too many times. His paw falls harmlessly to the ground. I take the opportunity to scurry away.

"Turk!" yells the black wolf.

"Huh, what?" says Turk, shaking his head and trying to steady himself.

"I think they get the message. Playtime's over. We've got other things to do."

Turk growls at me but finally nods his head at the black guy. And the black dude and scrawny depart.

"See you later, cutie," Turk says to Lilly. And then he follows them. Pretty soon, they're all gone.

And slowly, I feel sense returning to my arms and legs. In what seems like a few hours, though really it's only a few minutes, I am able to sit up again. But I don't really think about that. Instead I'm trying to piece together what just happened.

The crazy thing is, this is a scene I'm all too familiar with. When I was the Green Goblin, I had this special power, kind of a secret weapon, which no other Goblin possessed. When I laughed, somehow my Goblin mask heightened the sound waves to super-sonic frequencies, paralyzing everybody in the general vicinity with mind-numbing pain. Pretty cool, huh? I used to call it my Lunatic Laugh. It was something I'd only use to the fullest when everything else failed. It was also the thing that most often saved me from being brutally killed by all the super-psychos I went up against.

But, like I said, that was a power that came from this little doohickey in the mouth of my Goblin mask. Ever since the mask was busted, I haven't been able to do it. Until today. Weird!

But no time to think, here comes Winston and the gang…


	5. Philip and Lilly

They all ran up to check on the fallen human, who was by now sitting up and staring blankly into the woods.

"Young man," Winston said, "that has to be the most foolish thing I have ever seen anybody do."

"Yeah, I know," Philip answered. "I must be the world's biggest dork."

"But, at the same time," Eve added, with a tender smile, "you did save our daughter. I suppose we should thank you."

"You didn't have to do that," Kate said. "So, why did you? It's not like we're anything to you."

Philip looked away, avoiding Kate's accusatory glance. "Guess I've just got a heretofore-unknown heroic streak!"

Kate continued to size him up, wondering what this could possibly mean. He rubbed his arms and legs, apparently trying to sooth the pain. He then grabbed briefly at his stomach. Altogether, nothing particularly out of the ordinary for a human, Kate thought.

Lilly now ran up to Philip. She was still timid and afraid but managed to work up her courage. "Y… you saved me."

"Uh-huh," he said with a little smile. For the first time, Lilly did not shiver at it.

"Well," Winston said, "I cannot deny that you prevented any harm from coming to our daughter. I know you didn't have to risk your life like that and I know you could have run away if you so chose. As far as I'm convinced, you have proven trustworthy."

"What!" Kate barked. She could not bear this.

"Mostly, that is. I don't want you to leave just yet because I still want to know how you possess this ability to talk to us, and you are a human, but inasmuch as you have made a good turn by us, we shall make one by you. As such, I am allowing you free-run of the valley provided that a wolf accompanies you at all times. Do you understand, young man?"

Philip looked at Winston, seeming to study him, trying to figure out whether he was serious. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"Good. Do you need any help getting up?"

"Thanks but I think I can manage." With much effort, Philip forced himself to his feet.

"Alright," Winston said, "we have to figure out how to respond to this threat. Kate, Garth, I want you two to go see whether you can find out where these three troublemakers call home. Maybe then we will know something about them. Hutch, see to Can-do. Time if of the essence; we have to all get going now!"

"But, if I go," Kate protested, "who will guard the human?"

"I'll do it," Lilly said quietly.

"You'll what?" was the collective response.

"Well," she answered, trying to hide her face, "I am going to be pack leader someday, so I might as well get some experience."

Kate, Garth, Winston, and Eve exchanged cautious looks. Finally, Winston nodded.

"But…" Kate began, but a stern look from Eve ended it.

"If it makes you feel better," Humphrey said, "I'll go with Lilly and Phil."

Kate smiled at him. "Yeah, I think it would. At least then there would be two wolves to keep an eye on him." She then nuzzled Humphrey playfully. "Not that I don't think you won't look for the first chance to get into trouble."

"Who, me?" Humphrey said, feigning innocence.

Kate laughed. "Yes, you!"

"Kate," Garth said, "I think we should really get a move-on if we're going to catch up with those three."

Kate nodded and the two Alphas began to walk away.

"Remember, be careful," Eve said. "Don't let them see you and if there are any problems, head back here immediately. And Garth, if you let anything happen to my daughter, I will knock you to the ground and stamp on your skull until it breaks into three pieces! Understood?'

Both exchanged concerned glances but nodded and ran into the wilderness. Hutch, meanwhile, helped Can-do up and led him to the nearest den. Slowly, the rest of the pack dispersed. Humphrey, Lilly, and Philip were left alone.

Philip started to wander, distracted, as though he had forgotten all about his new companions.

"Hey, where do you think you're off to?" Humphrey called out.

Philip turned suddenly and looked at the two of them as though he was seeing them for the first time.

"Oh, sorry. I was just… distracted."

"Hey, then you and Lilly should get on just fine," Humphrey said, nudging the little white wolf. "She's been… distracted lately as well!"

Lilly smiled sheepishly and ran up to join Philip. Humphrey followed behind.

"So, where do you live?" she asked Philip as they walked.

"New York."

"Where's that?"

"New York."

Lilly laughed. "I know, but where is New York?"

Philip looked confused. "Like I said, it's in New York."

Now it was Lilly's turn to be confused. "Huh? I don't get it."

"The city of New York is in the state of New York. It's called New York, New York; the city so nice they named it twice… or something."

Lilly laughed again, as she couldn't possibly believe the absurdity of the idea. Surely, she thought, he was having her on. "That's silly to give a city and a state the same name. Are all the things you humans do so silly?"

Philip shrugged his shoulders. "Pretty much, I guess. I mean, considering that all those super-jocks like Spider-Man have to dress up in their pajamas to fight crime, 'silly' doesn't seem like such a bad word."

"Who's Spider-Man?"

The look of confusion on Philip's face intensified. "You're telling me that you have no idea who Spider-Man is? You've got to be joking."

Lilly shook her head.

"Oh… okay. Well, he's this guy who's… well, basically, he… Actually, it's not that important. He's just some guy in New York and he helps a lot of people and everybody hates him for it."

Lilly considered this for a moment and it did not seem to add up to her. "Well, if everybody hates him, why does he keep doing it?"

Philip looked away, trying to find the answer in his mind. Finally, he said, "You know, I really… just don't know."

"Hey guys," Humphrey said as he ran up beside them. "Are we actually going somewhere? 'Cause I think we've passed that same tree three times now."

"It's not like I've got anything better to do," Philip said.

"What do you people usually do for fun in New York, New York?" Humphrey said. "You must have something you like to do?"

Philip smiled briefly but then it was quickly gone. "I guess there's video games, maybe some T.V., I don't know. I haven't exactly been having a whole lot of fun lately."

Humphrey shook his head. "Well, my friend, it looks like somebody needs to remind you how to have fun!"

* * *

Fun? Me have fun? Me? Keep dreamin', kid. I mean, everything's pretty boring after you've spent a year flying around the skyscrapers of New York on a bat-glider.

But, Humphrey's intent on making me have a good time, so I decide to humor him. He mentions something about "log-sledding" but can't seem to find what he's looking for so instead we settle on tossing pine cones at a tree instead.

I'm jumping – yawn – for joy.

Anyway, so here I am, standing next to Lilly, a pine cone in my hand. And I'm apparently supposed to use this pine-cone to hit another pine-cone and knock it down. Then Lilly will try and then Humphrey. I think you get the idea.

Well, at least this might be something I can do for a change. It's certainly not anything strenuous or potentially painful (though for some reason I keep getting mental images of the pine-cone ricocheting off the tree and hitting me in the head) and it beats going with Kate and Garth to track down the Terrible Three. (What? There aren't many good names for trios of baddies!) So, I bounce the pine-cone in my hand a little bit, I pull back, get ready, focus my mind, and give it all I've got. I'm putting all my strength into this, so I just know it's going to go far.

Until, that is, it hits the ground without even getting half-way to the tree. Humphrey and Lilly burst out laughing. Glad to see that somebody's amused.

Apparently, I don't exactly handle my failure with grace, because Lilly says to me, "Don't be so upset, Phil. It's not like we're that much better!"

So she picks up hers in her mouth and pulls her head around. With a quick whip of her head, that also causes her hair to fly out of her eyes – beautiful lavender eyes – she sends the pine-cone flying. And it lands just ahead of mine.

Great. Now I officially throw like a girl. A wolf-girl.

Now Humphrey pulls his head back and gives the pine-cone a throw. It lands pretty much right next to Lilly's.

"So," I say, "we call it a draw?"

More laughter. Hey, if college doesn't work out, I might have a promising career as a comedian! I'm already a big joke as it is.

"Okay, now we try from the half-way mark!" Humphrey says. Lilly and he trot over to pick up their pine-cones.

While I'm not so sure about where the "fun" comes in, I follow suit.

We all throw again. Somehow, we don't even get half-way from _here_.

"Let's see the Alphas do that!" Humphrey says. "So what if they could actually hit the target? It takes something special to miss it – repeatedly!"

Ha ha. That was actually kinda funny. I actually chuckle. Not too much, for obvious reasons, but still. It's something.

At the next toss, I say, "You think that's bad? Watch how the resident dork throws a pine-cone!"

I do my baseball stance and get ready to pitch. If I can't hit a single pine-cone, I might as well throw this thing out of the park. And I would, too, except that, as I'm about to throw, all this gyrating causes my Goblin mask to start to fall out of my shirt. I scurry to grab it and shove it back into my shirt before anyone sees. The pine-cone drops from my hand as I reach for my shirt and the mask within.

"Yeah, way to throw!" Humphrey calls. Thanks.

And then it hits me. No, not the pine-cone. Rather, it's an epiphany. (I think that's the right word – should have paid more attention in high school English… or not.) I had forgotten all about my Goblin mask… but it was there the whole time. The one time that I was able to use my laugh was when I had my mask with me. Maybe I was able to do it because my sound waves bounced off the mask or something and the voice-thing amplified them. Which would mean… my mask isn't completely broken after all! Yes!

While I now feel like doing a victory lap over the better part of Jasper Park, I'm brought back to reality by Lilly, whose pine-cone manages to hit the tree but not the cone she was supposed to hit.

"Nice one, Lilly," Humphrey says.

"Hey, Phil was in my way," Lilly responds, though not in any mean sort of way. She's just teasing me.

"Well," I say, "I'm not moving until I get a do-over. I was distracted when I tried to do mine."  
"I think we should all get do-overs!" Lilly says.

"Hey, I haven't even gotten my turn yet!" Humphrey says.

"Too bad!" Lilly says.

"Yeah," I add. "I think you're outvoted, dude."  
"Some guys get all the luck," he says.

"Tell me about it," I say.

Then suddenly Humphrey looks sideways at me. "There's one thing I've been meaning to ask you."

"Okay."

"When Turk was on top of you there and about to slice your face off, how did you stop him?"

Oh man! The one question I did not want to answer! Well, maybe one of, like, three, but still… My mind darts as I try to figure out something to say.

"Wha… whadaya mean?"

"He was about to cut you seven ways from Sunday when you started saying something to him and he just kind of got dazed or something."

I definitely have got to think up something to say. At least they didn't hear my laugh, or if they did, it didn't register. Wolves are supposed to have better hearing than humans but, given the stress of the situation, they probably weren't paying all that much attention. I mean, I did laugh pretty quietly… So it might have been like a minimum range sonic shock or something.

Think quick, Philip, think quick! "Uh, I don't know." Resourceful as always! "I just kinda said that he shouldn't kill me. Nothing really else. I think he just got blinded by the sun or something. I mean, did you see the way it reflected off his claw? Does he polish those things or something?"

Humphrey shrugs. "Must've been something like that."

Phew! Escaped again. That's twice in one day. I'm not usually that lucky!

So, we continue to play pine-cone derby until the sun starts to set. We all have about the same amount of success as we had before. Figures.

"I think I'm dragging you guys down," I say as we begin to walk back to the mountain. "My presence is like a black hole when it comes to success."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Lilly says. "It was, I think, a record-breaking day for both me and Humphrey today. Omegas usually can't do that good."

"Omegas?"

"Yeah, we're both Omegas," Humphrey says.

"And you're one too!" Lilly proclaims. Apparently the idea excites her.

"Sorry, guys," I say, "but what's an Omega?"

"It means we're the lowest in the pack order," Humphrey kindly explains. "We aren't really good at hunting or fighting or doing anything involving physical exertion. That's what the Alphas and the Betas do. Unlike them, we're pretty goofy and prone to self-embarrassment and we tend to get blamed if things go wrong in the pack."

Sounds like an accurate description of me so far!

"But we're also have the best sense of humor in the pack," Lilly adds. "That's why we're in charge of keeping the peace when wolves start to get annoyed with each other."

"That doesn't sound like me," I say. "I've never been very good at keeping the peace." And don't I know it!

"Don't be silly," Lilly says. "You've got a great sense of humor! Being able to laugh is just as important as having great strength and agility. We need all of them to keep the pack together."

I look at her; I'm shocked. "You… you guys actually think I'm funny?"  
They both nod.

"Wow, I've always been called a joker, but I never took it quite like that before."

More laughs. I smile as my weak little attempt at wit seems to have struck a chord somewhere.

Cool! I can't help but feel good about myself after that.

"See what she means?" Humphrey says once he's recovered from laughing.

"You know what," I say, "I'm starting to think that I do."


	6. The Night of Secrets

The sun had already been down two hours when Kate and Garth lumbered back into the valley. They were both exhausted, having run the length and breadth of the greater Jasper Park area.

The pack was waiting for their return.

"What do you find?" Tony asked, without giving them a chance to collect themselves.

Both took a moment to catch their breath. Eventually, Kate pullede herself together and said, "We lost them."

"They're pretty clever," Garth added. "They zig-zagged and weaved so that we wouldn't be able to pick up their scent."

"We went everywhere we could, but the only thing we could find was this old camper."

"Sorry, that's me," Philip said.

"That would explain the shoddy upkeep," Kate remarked, more out of annoyance than out of humor.

"Hey, it's not mine," Philip responded. "It's Jenny's. You didn't happen to find any sign of her, did you?"

"Sorry, no other humans around for miles," Garth said.

"So, what do we do now?" Humphrey asked.

"Obviously, we should just keep searching until we find them!" Tony said. "Starting tomorrow, I think Kate and Garth and a few of the other Alphas should keep up a constant patrol until we find where these ruffians are hiding and flush them out!"

Lilly stepped forward cautiously. "Don't you think that Garth and Kate have been busy enough? Shouldn't they have some time to relax?"

Winston now interjected. "No, Lilly. This is a time of great need and all members of the pack have to fulfill their duty to the utmost."

"Besides, sweetie," Eve added, "Whoever finds those three first will have the pleasure of tearing them apart bit by bit in a slow and agonizing manner!"

"Oh, okay," Lilly said, her head downcast. Slowly, she sulked away into the crowd.

"Well, you two better get some rest," Winston said to Garth and Kate. "You're going to need it."

After they had been disbanded, Garth headed up to his den. As he approached, he heard a long sigh, which he recognized as Lilly's. He immediately dashed in to find Lilly laying on the floor, staring into the darkness.

"What's wrong?" he asked, running to her.

"I thought we were supposed to have some time to ourselves," Lilly said. "You promised that we would."

"I know, but the pack is in danger right now. It needs all of its Alphas to be ready to do what is necessary to defend it."  
Lilly did not respond but neither did she look at Garth. He lied down next to her and put his mouth by her ear.

"You know," he said in a quiet, soothing voice, "that by protecting the pack, I'm also protecting you."

Lilly gave a little nod. "I know, but still. I was so happy that we were finally going to get some time together."

"So was I, and maybe we still can if we solve this problem soon enough. But until then, I have to be out there keeping you and the rest of the pack safe."

Lilly tried to smile and pretend that everything was alright. Not that it was very convincing, but Garth was too tired to notice and fell quickly asleep next to her. She just lay there, thinking in the darkness. When she was sure Garth was too sound asleep to notice, she slowly got up and walked out of the den.

She walked the path leading down the side of the mountain. Most of the dens were quiet, as most of the wolves were asleep. Here and there, some young pups just born in the previous few months darted around their dens, keeping their long-suffering parents from getting any sleep at all. Lilly smiled slightly as she remembered how Kate used to do that with Winston and Eve. Of course, Lilly herself had always been too timid, and had always behaved herself under Winston and Eve's orders. Maybe that was the reason they never loved her as much as Kate.

She finally saw what she was looking for. Though much worse-for-ware after the day's adventure, Can-do was dutifully guarding the entrance to the old abandoned den.

"Hi, Can-do," Lilly said as she walked up.

Cando did not even glance at her. "Go home, Lilly. This is no time for a moonlight stroll."

"I just came down here to see Phil," she said.

"This is no place for you, Lilly. These are matters for the pack leaders to decide."

Lilly smiled. "In that case, let me in. I am one of the pack leaders."

"I mean the real pack leaders. The ones we actually count on to ensure our safety and keep us together."

A hint of annoyance appeared in Lilly's one visible eye, her hair having once again fallen over the other one.

"Someday, I am going to be one of the real pack leaders. Mom and dad aren't going to put off retiring forever."

Can-do was silent. He resumed his guard. After several minutes, Lilly realized that he would not stop her entrance. So she walked past him and into the abandoned den.

The first thing she heard was the sound of laughter. It startled her; she paused.

"He's been doing that all night," Can-do said without turning around.

Lilly now saw that it was Philip laughing, apparently holding something in his hands.

"Watcha doing?" she asked.

Philip jumped at the sound. As he tried to turn, the strap of the nearby green duffle bag got wrapped around his legs and pulled him to the ground. After he pushed whatever he was holding under the bag, Philip tried to roll out of the strap and ended up sitting in front of Lilly. His long tuft of hair had been knocked over one eye and now he looked almost the spitting image of her.

Lilly laughed. Philip looked embarrassed.

"That happened to me once," Lilly said.

Philip smiled. "Good to know I'm not the only one."

"What where you doing with all that laughing?"

"Trying to cheer myself up with a good joke," Philip said. "Unfortunately, it didn't work." He slouched down, apparently disappointed.

"Don't be sad," Lilly said. "You want to get out of this dark den for a while?"

"You mean, I can actually leave?"

"Yep, as long as a wolf's accompanying you."

"But who's going to bother doing that?"

Lilly chuckled. "Me, silly!"

"Okay, I guess that's settled!"

Philip followed Lilly out of the cave and both did what they could to ignore Cando's disapproving stare. They walked a little up the path until they came to a small ledge. Lilly gently walked over and sat on the edge, looking down into the forested valley below. Philip came and sat next to her.

"Nice night," he said as he glanced at the moon above.  
"Yeah, it is."

There was a hint of sadness in Lilly's voice. She didn't know if that was what she intended. But it got her what she wanted.

"Is everything okay?" Philip asked.

"I guess," Lilly said, her eyes (at least the visible one) becoming narrow.

"Doesn't sound like it."

Lilly sighed. "It's just that, with everything that's been going on lately, Garth doesn't have any time for me nowadays. He's always got something or other to do with the pack. I know it's important but I never see him anymore." She lowered her head, so that her bang of hair seemed to hang at a right angle from her face.

"So, you and him are an item?" Philip said.

"An… item?"

"I mean, you know, together? In a committed relationship?"

"Uh-huh."

"That's funny, cause I kinda thought you and Humphrey–"

Lilly surprised herself by actually laughing. "Me and Humphrey? Why would I be in a relationship with Humphrey? I mean, we're friends and all, but he's always been in love with Kate! Everybody knows that!"

"Well, I didn't. I'm new in these parts, remember?"

"I guess I forgot. Sorry."

"But if Garth and Kate are both Alphas and you and Humphrey are both Omegas, how can you be, you know, together?"

"It's a long story. Alphas and Omegas aren't supposed to be together but… we kinda broke the rules. It nearly led to a war between our two packs."

"Your two packs?"

"Oh, right. You don't know that there used to be two packs. Our pack was the western pack."

"By our, you mean?"

"Me, Kate, Humphrey, mom and dad, Hutch, Can-do."

"Okay."  
"And then the other pack, Garth and Tony's pack, was the eastern pack."

"So, like the NCAA?"

"What?"

"It's a sports league for colleges and… whatever."

"Kate and Garth were supposed to marry to unite the packs but then Kate and Humphrey got kidnapped and taken to Idaho and had to find their way back and they fell in love and while they were gone we fell in love and then Kate and Garth were going to marry anyway and then they didn't and then there was a war and then a stampede and then our parents agreed to let us get married anyway even though Alphas aren't supposed to marry Omegas and now anybody can marry anybody."

Philip's head seemed to spin, literally. "I… think I caught, like, a quarter of that. Okay, but if Alphas and Omegas can marry now, why don't you hunt and do that other stuff like the Alphas do?"

Lilly shook her head. "It's not like that. Alphas and Omegas still have different duties in the pack. We all have our own roles and it takes all of us to keep the pack together."

Philip was quiet for a moment. Then he started glancing at Lilly, very cautiously. Lilly noticed but pretended not to. It was too cute to ruin.

"Lilly, can I ask you something kinda personal?"

Lilly glanced sideways at him, not knowing what it could be. "I guess."

"If your sister Kate is an Alpha and both your parents are Alphas, how come you're an Omega?"

Lilly looked away. She was quiet for she didn't know how long. But Philip seemed to regret asking the question immediately, so Lilly decided to answer it, even though she wanted just to block it out of her mind.

She sighed as she began to speak, just barely managing to keep herself from breaking down. "My parents always knew that Kate was the natural leader of the family. She was always so adventurous and daring and smart. They could always tell that she had what it takes to lead the pack. They barely had to do any Alpha training at all. It just came instinctively to her. Me on the other hand, I was always too quiet, too shy. I never showed the determination or the initiative that an Alpha needs. I was just so… scared of all this stuff that they wanted us to do and I just… couldn't handle it! I broke down crying the first time they tried to train me. So, when it came time for Alpha School, it was easy for them to send Kate and… I just stayed home because I wasn't even good enough for Beta School."

A tear fell down Lilly's snout. "I know I've always been a disappointment to them."

Lilly felt Phil pat her on the back. She looked up to see that he now looked depressed himself.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories. But hey, it's not like you're the only person who couldn't live up to your parent's expectations. My mom and dad have always been disappointed that I haven't followed in the footsteps of my genius businessman brother. My dad, like, reminds me of it at every opportunity. But, no, I just keep drifting through life. The only people who ever believed in me were my Uncle Ben and my girl Meredith. And I completely messed up with Merry."

"I wish I would have actually done something they could have been proud of. I wish I could have amounted to something better than an Omega."

"Yeah, me, I wish I wasn't just another Mister Nobody. I wish I could actually do something with my life instead of just drifting from one thing or another."

"I guess we're both pretty big disappointments."

"Yeah, we're both losers. We've always been nobodies and we always will be. Though I mean that in the nicest possible sense."

They both chuckled. But when that subsided, each was left to their own thoughts. Images of all her failures flashed through Lilly's mind, and she could tell by the look on Philip's face that the same thing was happening to him.

And then, he broke the silence. "You know, I've been a nobody, a wimp, a loser my whole life. But there was a time when, for one brief shining moment, I was so much more…"

Lilly turned her face to see his. His face had become sterner, as though betraying some hidden strength. She waited for him to say something more. But he never did; he just sat there – lost in some distant memory.

"Garth just makes me feel so much better whenever he's around," Lilly said at last. "It's about the only time when I don't feel completely worthless."

"It was like that with me and Merry, too," Philip responded.

"What about your new girlfriend… was her name Jenny?"  
Philip looked as though he had only just remembered he had a new girlfriend. "Oh, Jenny… yeah, she's alright. She's nothing like Merry, but… whatever."

Lilly smiled warmly. "Maybe you should try and make things up to Merry if you still love her."

Philip shrugged. "I think it's too late for that." He looked over his shoulder in the direction of his temporary home. "It's too late for a lot of things."

"It's never too late," Lilly answered.

"Yeah, maybe…"

Lilly picked herself up and stretched. "Though it is too late for me to be up. Mom'll kill me is she finds out that I'm still out of my den at this hour."

"Parents are like that," Philip said, though without turning to look at her. His hand had fallen to his side as she had gotten up, but he did not seem to notice.

"You coming?" Lilly said. "I need to bring you back to your den or Can-do will have a fit."

"Yeah, just give me a minute," Philip said, still not looking at her. Lilly thought it might be wise to leave him be.

* * *

I look over my shoulder briefly to see Lilly disappearing into the darkness, her long, bushy tail swishing in the wind. I smile a little, but that's soon gone. My thoughts return to my Goblin mask. I was so sure that there was something to my idea, that somehow part of it still worked. But I had been trying all night to duplicate the Lunatic Laugh, without success.

I mean, was it just a fluke?

"Perhaps it was more than just some happy accident."

I jump. Who said that?

Then I see this man standing a little farther up the path. He's a big fellar, with a strong face and this unruly head of hair. I mean, he's got a beard and all these tangled knots and I don't know where the hair stops and the face begins.

But he's got large eyes, green in color, that just creep me out. They've got a hungry look, like, predatory. I'll tell you this, I've been around a lot of wolves since I got here, and none of them have such fierce… such… savage… such animalistic eyes as this guy. And he's human! I think…

He's apparently a woodsman, some type of lumberjack by the looks of him. He's got the standard outfit of the job, you know, the flannel shirt and the long overalls and the thick boots. In his hand, he's carrying a large axe, kinda like the one the firefighters use except only bigger. I guess he chops trees the old-fashioned way. The more power to him, I guess…

But the really weird thing is that all that stuff, the overalls, the shirt, even the axe, are all green as green can be. And I thought_ I_ was the one who overdid the kelly! Mr. Green-jeans smiles at me, and somehow I feel less secure than I did before.

"No need to be afraid, my young friend," he says. Easy for him to say! He's the one carrying the bladed implement!

"But you would not need a weapon if you still had your sonic laugh."

Woah! Is he… reading my mind?

"Look, buddy," I say, attempting to muster all the swagger I don't really have. "I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but you're the first human I seen in days. If you're a regular around these parts, can you tell me how to get to the nearest city?"

He laughs. It is not a very joyful laugh, but one more mocking, cruel. So this must be how it felt when people had to listen to me as the Goblin, though I like to think that mine was pretty exuberant in an eerie sort of way.

He speaks, "I am most sorry, my boy, but you cannot possibly leave yet."

"So they keep telling me."

Then I realize that he's probably going to ask who the "they" are. And how am I supposed to tell him that I can talk to wolves without him thinking I'm completely wacked?

"Don't worry, my young friend," he says. "I know all about your situation. But you do seem to be growing incredibly close to that young Lilly."

I jump back. "H… how do you know… about her?"

He smiles again, another evil-looking smile. "It is not important right now."

'It is not important right now.' Oh, no? Then what could be more important at this particular moment.

"The fact that you won't find what you're looking for by tinkering around with your old mask."

A cold feeling goes streaking through my spine. How could he possibly know about that?

"I… I don't know what you're talking about, mister…"

And I turn to walk away. But then, wouldn't you just guess what he says?

"Oh, I think you do. I think you do better than you want to let on, Philip Urich! Or would you prefer me to address you by your other name: the Green Goblin?"

I spin around. "How do you know about that? How could anybody possibly know?"

His chuckles hit me like blows from that axe. "So, you thought you were so successful at keeping your little secret that no one had found out? I promise you, more people than you thought know who you are. But enough of that. Let us talk of other things."

I really, really want to hit this guy right now. But puny little weakling vs. giant mountain man with very large axe – let's just say I wouldn't even bet on me to win that one!

"Look, man," I say, "secretive airs of mystery went out in the 90s! I don't know how you found out ab… ab… about me but… I still got all my dangerous Goblin goodies so–"

"Except that you have no powers, your mask no longer works, and you are also out one Goblin Glider. But other than that, I can see how you might consider yourself a match for me."

And then his smile becomes much wider, and I'm expecting fangs or blood or something. Other than an unnatural yellowish-green color (This guy's got to make contact with one of the finest achievements of man – dental hygiene!), there is nothing so dramatic. But I'm still nerved out by it.

"Do not worry so much," he says. "Trust me, I am your friend. If there is anybody here who is your friend, I am. And you need a friend right now."

"Wha…what is that supposed to mean?"

He kinda rocks his head back and forth, as though laughing to himself about what he's going to say. Funny, he's never been reluctant to laugh at me before. "Because, Philip Urich, Green Goblin, there are in this valley those who are no friend to you. Beware, for your enemies are much closer than you think they are. They wait, looking for the opportunity to strike. And when they do, you shall know to be most selective in whom you trust."

"Okay, cut the mystery monologue. It all sounds great for a classic film noir, but this is in living color! If you got something to say, just say it." Hey, sometimes I can act brave, too!

In the darkness, this guy's eyes seem to glow as they fill with delight. Or at least what I think is delight. Might be just a migraine, though. I confuse those a lot.

He says, "The one who is becoming closest to you, the one who you are coming to love more than all the rest, she shall be the cause of your downfall. She will be the one that betrays you. She will be your destroyer, your evil, your last and greatest enemy! The one who covers half her face with her hair shall be the death of you, Philip Urich!"

And I'm about ready to snap now. "Don't you talk about Lilly like that!" I shout.

"Ha ha ha ha! Lilly, Lilly, Lilly. Don't think yourself wise, Philip Urich! You have no true grasp of the situation, so don't even begin to talk to me as though you know! Be silent, until the time comes when you may have understanding. Perhaps if you listened and observed what is around you, you would see clearly what I am revealing!"

"Bag the noise!" I say. "If you aren't going to spill about what my 'downfall' is, then I really don't have any point in listening. So if you're done ragging me here, I've got an appointment with a pretty white wolf and a not so pretty gray wolf. That fresh with you?"

This just seems to amuse him more. He starts to roll his axe around on his shoulder. "There is one thing which I shall tell you, and may you not forget it! There are many things which you may not yet be allowed to understand but there is one thing which you should immediately know."

I give him an 'oh-really?" look. "And what might that be, hmmm?"

"Before the final page is turned in this great history, I can promise you this with certainty, the Green Goblin shall glide again!"

And then suddenly, I feel myself fall to the ground. It's all I can do to keep from losing consciousness. My head is spinning like a washing machine gone haywire. It seems to go on forever, until…

"Phil!" It's Lilly.

I look up weakly. Lilly and Can-do are standing above me, both with looks of worry and pity. Well, Lilly has a look of worry and pity. Can-do looks like he's thinking about all the other places he could be right now.

"We got worried when you never came down," Lilly says meekly.

"Oh, that," I say, trying to act casual as I force myself to rise, despite the fact that every part of me insists on getting to know the ground a little better. "I meant to come down, I really did, but I just got involved with talking to that other guy."

"What other guy?" Lilly says.

I now look around me and see that my new best friend is gone. "The one with the axe and the green lumberjack suit. He was just here!" I'm sure I was only down for a second or two. He couldn't have bagged it up or down the pass in that short amount of time.

Cando does that whirly finger thing to Lilly when I say that.

"I can see that!" I say. But he doesn't seem particularly set on apologizing.

Lilly steps forward cautiously and her voice is even meeker than before (for her, that's a considerable achievement – not that I'm passing judgment, y'understand), "Phil, there was nobody there when we came up. Are you sure you weren't down for a while?"

"No, it was like, ten seconds tops!"

"Well, there was nobody here when we came," Can-do says, with just a hint of delight at my apparent insanity. If you only knew, buddy, if you only knew…

I follow Lilly and Can-do back down the path, but the whole time I'm a thousand light-years away in my head. Who was that guy? How did he know so much about me? And what's with our shared green motif? Was he just a hallucination; a product of my fear and stress, or some unadvertised side-effect of the Goblin serum? I'm no stranger to stuff like this. When I first became the Goblin, I kept getting these visitations from everybody who's died under the Goblin mantle, including old Norms and Harry. I still to this day am not sure whether they were just products of my jumpy and confused mind or actually the old Goblins back from the dead. But this guy was different somehow. Even though my Goblin pals were all pretty terrifying (Especially Demogoblin – yikes!) they've never had the effect on me that this guy had. It's like, just by being there, he was playing havoc with my senses. Weird!

I'm still puzzling over all this when Lilly and Can-do drop me off back home, sweet home. Lilly then quietly says goodnight and Can-do gets back to methodically refusing to acknowledge my existence. I lay down, hurriedly retrieve my Goblin mask from under my bag and place it _within_ the bag (What a concept!), and try to get some sleep. As I slowly and with considerable difficulty begin to nod off, one question continues to swirl around in my mind:

What the heck am I supposed to do now?


	7. The Green Goblin Exposed?

**So far, he's been kidnapped by a pack of talking wolves, placed under cave-arrest, humiliated himself repeatedly, been nearly killed by the hoodlums threatening the valley, and now the only other human Philip Urich has seen in days may be no more than a deranged fantasy of his anxious mind! Can the life of our unlikely hero get any worse than it is right now? The answer, unfortunately for Phil, is a resounding yes! Is it possible that his less-than-gracious hosts already know about his ghastly alter-ego? And how will Phil keep from blowing his cover sky-high? Are his worst fears true? Is "The Green Goblin Exposed?"**

**Read on as the world's strangest super-hero continues to face his strangest adventure ever!**

* * *

Okay, here I am, sailing through the abandoned warehouse. I don't like being here but, like, what choice do I have? This psycho-lady's kidnapped the girl of my dreams, Lynn Walsh, and I need to stop her before somebody gets seriously injured. I just managed to escape myself, jumping out of a window as Philip Urich and catching my glider at the last possible second. But now, I am the Green Goblin and I am on the hunt!

I hear the voices of the various hoodlums she's trying to get to destroy me. Most of them don't seem too happy.

"We ain't working for anybody who can't even defeat the Green Goblin," one of them says.

"Yeah, you ain't nothing if you can't beat that amateur!" another guffaws.

An amateur? Moi? We'll just see about that. I rev up my glider, preparing to send the old girl into hyper-drive, and then I go flying toward the wall. As I get close, I put my fists out and… Hahahahahaha! I burst through the wall and send the whole gang of hoodlums flying. They don't know what's hit them. They try to attack me, but it's all half-hearted and full of fear. Who's the amateur now, punks? With a few punches and a few pumpkins I introduce the goons to their newly-scheduled nap-time. And trust me, it's gonna be a long one!

Nobody disses the Green Goblin!

And then, an electric shock whizzes past my ear. Who knows, it may have even grazed me, if not for the protection of my super-suit. I turn the glider around to see her there.

Angel Face. A pink-haired beauty with a serious need for some attention – from a really good psychiatrist! Problem is, she killed the last one and then broke out, coming for me! A large tuft of hair covers the right half of her face – and that's the whole cause of her obsessive hatred toward me. I'd be glad to tell you the story, but then another shot from her electric gizmo nearly knocks me from my glider.

"How dare you drop in uninvited, you kelly cretin!" she yells. "I'm going to teach you some manners… and then I'm going to kill you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," I say as I dodge another blast, "but I just felt my ears burning and I knew you must be wanting to see me, Angel!"

"You're right," she says, "but you will soon regret that!"

Yeah, right. I dive down toward her, ready to face her head on. But I'm the one with who-knows-how-many tons of steel under me and all the speed of an unhinged roller coaster. Looks like this one's going to the man in green! Hahahahahaha!

And then, another electric blast. I'm taken for a loop and knocked off my glider. Luckily, I'm able to set out my Goblin blades and so I hover around in mid-air. But Angel Face is ready for another shot. The lady is crazy! She's completely ignoring the fact that my glider is speeding right toward her! But if she hits me with another direct shot, neither of us might make it out alive. The only thing to do is to paralyze her with my dreaded… Lunatic Laugh! I open my mouth wide and–

"Get up!"

I'm jolted out of slumber by Can-do's less-than-gentle prodding. The guy should really cut his nails… er, claws!

"Wha! Oh, Can-do, have you been guarding me all night?" I say, trying to compose myself (not very successfully). "I mean, you shouldn't have, buddy! That shows real dedication!"

"I didn't. My shift ended at midnight. I was just sent here to bring you before Winston and Eve. They want to speak with you."

With me? Why with me? "Why?"

"They know all about your little escapade last night." For the first time since I've known him, and I feel like it's been three years in three days here, Can-do seems to have a hint of amusement. Nice.

But, on the other hand, if the "escapade" (Do people still use that word?) he's referring to is the one I think he's referring to, it might be my opportunity to finally get some answers here. I still don't know what to make of that green woodsman or what he knows about me. Of course, if they know about the woodsman, that might mean that _they_ know about me! After all, I don't think they're inviting me to breakfast just because I'm particularly pleasant to be around at… wait, what time is it?

I look at my watch. Eight-thirty? Who gets up at eight-thirty in the morning? This is insane! But then, I guess that means it's right up my alley! Or not… (Really, eight-thirty?)

I follow Can-do up the path to the top of the mountain. He's getting impatient because I'm walking much slower than usual. I am still half-asleep after all. (Again, eight-thirty? Are they serious?) So, as I just manage to avoid sleepily toppling from the cliffs, I catch up with Can-do and he continues. Of course, he soon outpaces me again and has to stop, looking like he wants to make me a steak sandwich (into one, that is) until I finally catch up.

Lather, rinse, repeat until we get to the peak where the mountain begins to level off.

I close my eyes, because the sudden burst of direct sunlight is painful, but before I do I notice Winston, Eve, and that psycho Tony waiting for me. That's nice, all three of them are here to chew me out. What a good day it's going to be…

Then, as my eyes slowly adjust, I'm able to see more of what surrounds me. This is the same cliff where Winston and Eve live and where I guess Kate and Lilly used to live until they moved in with their future mates. Then I notice that also in attendance are Kate, Humphrey, Garth, and… Lilly?

Great, the gang's all here. Yep, shaping up to be a spectacular day already.

Everybody's staring at me. They're all giving me very stern looks – I already don't like how this is shaping up – and Kate and Eve are giving me the sternest of all. Garth looks none too pleased, either. Humphrey doesn't look mad so much as worried, I guess. And Lilly, Lilly isn't even looking at me. She's looking down at the ground, her face hidden in shame.

Okay, they definitely _know_.

I begin to panic. What do I do? What do I do? It occurs to me that my best bet may be to bag this meeting, don my Goblin outfit, and try to make a quick escape from the valley using a makeshift glider constructed of tree bark and stones.

The only thing which stops my plan dead in its tracks is that I wouldn't know how to take rocks and logs and turn them into a jet engine. I should have paid more attention at 'wilderness survival' seminar Jenny made me attend!

"Phil, I'm glad you could make it," Winston says. Funny, he doesn't exactly sound all that happy.

"Hey, you know… you know me," I say, trying not to let on that I know that they know what I know they know (I think), "I'm always around when somebody needs me! But seriously, eight-thirty in the morning? That's a little extreme."

Nobody's taking the bait. My weak attempt at diffusing the situation falls flat. Great, now I'm even a failure at being an Omega!

"I've called everybody here today because we have some very serious matters to discuss," Winston says.

"I'll say we do!" says Tony as he starts walking toward me. Actually, more like stalking me. I think he might charge if I answer wrong. Or answer right, for that matter.

Right now, that log-glider doesn't seem like such a bad idea…

"Please, Tony," Winston says, "there's no reason for this to get out of hand."

"Yet," Eve adds with a wicked grin in my direction.

"Now, Phil," Winston says, trying to remain the sane one in the discussion (I'm sure they already know that that's not how I roll), "What were you doing out of the den last night?"

"Me? Out of my den? Well… um… y'see it was… I just kinda decided to take a walk, I guess! You know, just getting some fresh mountain air and taking in the incredible view and… whatever."

Winston shook his head. "There is no need to hide things from us. We already know everything. We just want to hear it from your own mouth."

I'm speechless. I'm actually completely speechless. They know everything, everything! I am so doomed!

"I… um… I… I don't really know what to say to that."

"He's being evasive again," Kate says, walking up next to Winston, her eyes narrowed on me. "You want me to tell him what we know?"

"No, Kate. I want to hear it from him directly."

Stall for time! Stall for time! (Why? It's not like Spider-Man's going to swing down and save me! That stuff never happens a second time. Or a third time… Or a fourth…)

I say, "Okay, okay, you got me. Y'see, I was out there because… well, I met somebody out there and I guess… I guess we talked about… whatever."

Garth barges toward Winston, looking eerily like his father. "Do we really have to do this? Lilly already told us everything!"

Lilly? _Lilly?_

"Are you telling me," I say weakly, "that _Lilly_ told you all about last night?"

Lilly's head falls down even more as she tries to hide her face from me completely. Garth looks at me as though he could kill me, which he probably could. "Actually, I was telling it to Winston," he says. Ah, just where we needed some witty repartee.

But in the present circumstances, it just bounces off of me. I mean, suddenly, all the fear and panic is completely gone. I mean, I'm elated. Forget the log-glider, I'm practically walking on air here. Because, if they were only talking to Lilly, that means that they can't possibly know about my big secret! They can't possibly know that I used to be New York's greenest and gruesomest crime fighter! Maybe that woodsman was only in my head after all! Strange, I never thought that idea would be particularly comforting, but there's a first time for everything!

Winston clears his throat. "Thank you, Garth. As I was saying, I wanted to hear it in Phil's own words."

I grin big. "Oh yeah. That sounds like a fine and fresh idea to me! Y'see, Lilly came down and asked me if I wanted to go for a walk. I didn't think I'd be able to go but she said that as long as I was with a wolf it was alright. So then we walked and talked about some stuff and then eventually it was getting late so we got back and that was that." Yeah, I've always had a way with words.

"He says it so innocently," Garth says, holding his head up so high it actually looks like he's looking down on me. "And what did you two talk about?"

"You know," I say, "Stuff. Like, she was basically filling me in on all the rules around here. I don't know how long I'm staying, so it's best if I get some understanding of what's what. Right?"

I'm not about to tell them what Lilly said to me about feeling like such a disappointment to them. I have a feeling that she left that part out of her story and would appreciate it if I did the same. Besides, I'm not about to swagger up t'someone like Eve and try to lecture her on how to be a better parent. I value the use of my legs too much.

"Which is pretty much what Lilly told us," Winston says. I smile. Judged that one right. There really is a first time for everything!

Garth does seem all that relieved. Tough! I can't please everybody.

Kate doesn't seem too happy either. I don't know why, but it's probably just that I've been on her bad side since I arrived here. "Okay, Phil, if that's true, what about the other human you said you saw? Lilly and Can-do told us that you saw someone else on our mountain. Yet, you did not bother to bring it to mom and dad. Why not?"

"Um… ehem… what did they say exactly?"

"That Lilly left you alone – which is directly against what all of us were ordered to do – and when she and Can-do came to find you, you were laying on the ground. When you got up, you insisted that there was another human with you."

My mind races. "Well… um… it was just… the mountain air! Yeah, that's it. You know me, weak constitution. The lower amount of oxygen or whatever got to me and I fainted and kinda fell into this dream where I was talking to a weird green guy and it was crazy."

"Hmm… you insisted it was real." Kate's walking back and forth like she's a lawyer interrogating a witness. I hate this.

"Yeah, well, I was still feeling the aftereffects. I'm much better today!" I offer my best smile, hoping it'll look genuine.

Kate studies me but doesn't leave off that suspicious look. "So you're fine now, right."

"Yeah."

"No more trouble with the oxygen in the air?"

"No."

"Which you didn't have before, either."

Now I see where this is going. I have to think quickly to respond. "Well, before I had never been out of the den long enough and now, um, I think I'm starting to get acclimated – I think that's the word – to it. All I needed was a good night's sleep, is all!"

"That's enough, Kate," Winston says. "It is not the reason we brought Phil up here."

"It isn't?" I ask.

Eve now steps forward. "No, we just wanted to talk to you about why our daughter is suddenly showing such an interest in you."

I shudder under her gaze. I can't shake the feeling that she's going to pulverize me before I get any words out. I try anyway. "Well… uh… how should I know? Maybe I'm just a popular person!"

Eve growls. Apparently she took that the wrong way.

I start to back away. "I know, I know, as if, right? I couldn't charm a flea, ha ha."

Eve flinches a bit at my bad joke and it looks like everybody else does, too. Great, that really boosts my self-esteem.

"Then why don't you tell me why _you_ have such an interest in _her_?" Eve says with her teeth still all showing. Foul!

Okay, what do I do now? I have to try and defuse this situation before I end up as a few scraps on the ground! "Um… maybe it's just that she's the only person… wolf… whatever… who will bother to give me the time of day around here. After all, not all of you guys have been the most welcoming!"

"Hey, what about me?" Humphrey says. Forgot he was there.

"Yeah, but you weren't really around all that much," I say, trying to find any way to make my story hold water. I'm telling the truth but I don't think it's what any of them want to hear.

But Winston nods. "Eve, that is enough for now."

Eve looks over at her husband, probably asking to be allowed just to take an arm off. But finally, she backs off. Phew!

Winston continues, "I don't see why we shouldn't take Phil at his word for now. He is, after all, a stranger – and a human at that – so he cannot be expected to understand all of our concerns. But Lilly, on the other hand, knew what she was doing."

He now turns toward his daughter. So do Garth, Eve, Humphrey, and Tony. Kate, however, continues to watch me, like she's expecting me to do something suspicious now that nobody's paying attention.

Yeah, like what am I going to do?

Winston says to Lilly, "You know we didn't want you anywhere near a human. It's hard enough for Garth to protect you when he has all of his other duties, but how is he supposed to do it when you willfully put yourself in danger?"

Danger? Who, me? How could I be a danger to anybody?

Lilly keeps her head down. "Sorry, dad," she says, barely louder than a whisper.

Eve joins in, "And you even left your den when Garth was already there and asleep for the night, just to consort with a human? What were you thinking? You could have been killed! Do you even know where he's been?"

"No, mom."

Of course, if they asked _me_ to explain, I'm not even sure I could say where I've been. Murderworld for one, but where is that even?

Now Garth chimes in, "Plus, I don't even know what you see in him!" Oh, looks like somebody's jealous.

"Young lady," Eve says, "I have never been so disappointed in you! You were always so good at obeying us. What's gotten into you?"

Foul! This is totally foul! Why are they going after her so badly? It's not like she's done anything really wrong! It's not like she even meant to. I would never hurt her and maybe if they paid her a little more attention, she wouldn't need to confide in me in the first place!

Still, I feel like this is my fault. Even though I had no way of knowing Lilly would get in trouble, I'm still the reason she did. And now, I can only watch in silence as she gets the third degree from her parents and boyfriend. Like I said, foul!

"Do you understand how worrying it is to us that you so flagrantly disobeyed us?" Winston says.

"Yeah, dad," Lilly answers.

Unless, I use my… No, I can't say anything! I can't do anything! I am not cut out for standing off against a bunch of wolves… especially ones like Eve!

"The Green Goblin would."

Who said that? I look over my shoulder, to see Can-do. Huh, forgot he was here. But he's not the one who said it. No, guess what? The green lumberjack is back, mocking me with that grin of his.

"What are you talking about?" I say quietly, hoping to avoid anybody besides Can-do from hearing the woodsman.

"I didn't say anything," Can-do says.

"Not you, him!" I point behind Can-do. He looks toward the woodsman and turns back.

"Very funny," he says, obviously not thinking it at all funny.

"What? Don't you see that guy over there?"

Can-do looks at me suspiciously. "There's nobody over there. Stop trying to mess with me, Urich."

The woodsman chuckles a bit. Oh great, it's one of those cases where I can only see the creepy green guy. Typical.

"Indeed," he says, "nobody but you can see me. That way is usually for the best."

Stop listening to my narration! It's annoying!

"Unless you want to have this conversation in hearing range of everybody else, I suggest we keep things as they are."

The man does have a point!

"And stop looking in this direction. Can-do is growing suspicious."

I immediately turn my head back toward the main event, but the green dude's voice keeps playing in my head.

"You know that the Green Goblin would step in and defend _his _friends if they were in need."

Hey, buddy, don't make me out to be some type of Captain Courage. My primo concern as the Goblin was to avoid getting killed.

"And yet, you always managed to swoop down and save the day when somebody was in danger. Wasn't that courageous?"

Well, it's not like I particularly wanted to. I just couldn't…

"Yes?"

I couldn't… let anybody get hurt when I had the power to stop it.

"There you are. You were more of a hero than you are willing to recognize."

Well, I'm not a hero any more. I don't have any powers and I certainly don't have any courage.

"You saved Lilly once. Wasn't that courageous?"

Yeah, well… I did have my Lunatic Laugh. But that was just a fluke… or something.

"Are you so sure?"

"Lilly, dear," Eve said, "we don't want you to ever do anything so reckless ever again, okay? Or there will be consequences!"

"Okay, mom," Lilly said, now looking like she just wants to disappear. Her snout is pressing against her chest and her one visible eye is almost completely closed.

"It's a true shame that Lilly has no one to defend her," the green man says, "in her hour of need. If I were her friend and it was my fault, after all, then I would do something about it. But maybe friendship doesn't mean what it used to. But I would expect the Green Goblin to be in full agreement with me."

And I can't take this anymore. I just want him to shut up. So I shout, "Bag that noise!"

And now I see that everybody's staring at me. I forgot that nobody else can see or hear the green guy. Oopsy…

And now, I'm seriously trying to think up a practical way to construct a log-glider.

"Did you have something to say, young man?" Tony says, obviously very impatient. Eve and Winston seem like they don't even know what to say, having never been challenged like that before. Well, it's not like I really meant to challenge them, but still…

Lilly's so surprised that even she's staring at me, her fur falling back to reveal both eyes.

"I didn't say anything," I say. Nobody buys it. "No, really. I was talking to somebody else!"

"And who might that be?" Eve says, about ready to tear me apart.

The green lumberjack in my head, maybe? Well, I can't say that, or I'll look delusional. Though I probably am delusional; I mean, this is really giving support to the hallucination angle!

"Oh… it was… Can-do!" I say. "He said a joke that I didn't think was very good."

"No, I didn't," Can-do says. Thanks for picking up the slack, buddy!

"Oh," I say, "I thought you did. Never mind."

"There's something not-right about that boy," Tony remarks. If only you knew, brother, if only you knew…

Then I look over and see the green man, his gestures urging me on. Oh well, guess I can't do any more damage than I've already done.

"Actually, there is something I wanted to say," I say.

"Yes?" Eve says, obviously just holding back her rage. I hope this turns out alright…

"Well, I don't… I don't really think you should be so hard on Lilly. She probably didn't realize it would get her into so much trouble 'cause… just look at me! I ain't nothing to worry about! I mean… it's not like I'm _trouble_ or anything… I bet she's much stronger than me… I don't think if I was really deadly that she'd have anything to do with me! She was just lonely… I don't think she'd do it again… I did save her life, so there's that… Kinda, I kinda saved her life, so that's why she trusted me… Yeah, I think that covers it."

I do make a strong argument! Or not.

Now, I just want to disappear around the path and run back to my den, but somehow I'm paralyzed. The fear, the anticipation, maybe even my concern for Lilly, keeps me glued to the ground. That, and the fact that either Can-do or Eve would pounce on me if I tried to move a beat without being excused. Totally foul!

Nobody seems particularly impressed by my display, with the exception of Lilly, who seems to have recovered a little bit of her strength.

"The points are well taken," Winston says at last, "but the fact still stands that Lilly disobeyed our orders."

Strike up another victory for the former Green Goblin! I guess I'll never become a great debater.

"But," Winston adds, "what is done is done. I suppose there is no harm now in letting you and Lilly continue to socialize. But, as for you, Phil, that is all we need you for. Can-do, please escort Phil back to his den. We still have suitable punishments to discuss with Lilly."

And I'm elated again. At least I accomplished something! I haven't felt this good since I was still the man in green! I look over and see that the other man in green has completely vanished. Huh, nice of him to mess things up and then run away just as they turn out right. But I guess they wouldn't have turned out right if he hadn't messed them up, or something.

Either way, I nod and follow Can-do as he walks away. I smile at Lilly as I go. She smiles back. That's it, kid, keep the spirits up. Brave heart and whatever.

So I walk back down, following a few paces behind Can-do. Not to my surprise, the green lumberjack comes with me, suddenly appearing out of nowhere like he does. Well, if he is my delusion, then I guess that makes sense.

"Okay," I say to him in a whisper because I really don't need Can-do to think that I'm any crazier than I already look, "Are you real or are you just a hallucination?"  
"What do you think?" the lumberjack says.

"I'm thinking you're a hallucination, not actually real. That's the only way I can explain it."

"Then maybe you need better ways of understanding."

"Are you saying that you are real?"

"Possibly."

"Or are you just some figment of my imagination."

"That is also possible."

"So, you could be fake, is what you're saying?"

"No, I am definitely not a fake. Trust that."

I shake my head. "This is all making absolutely no sense. Are you really there or aren't you?"

"I am."

"Then you are actually another person?"

"Yes."

"Now we're getting somewhere. Okay, so you're not in my head–"

"I did not say that."

I'm about ready to scream. "Okay, buddy, are you really here or aren't you? Straightforward question."

"Yet, you already know better than to look for a straightforward answer. Has your experience with the past Goblins taught you nothing, my friend?"

He's got a point there. I just wish I could tell if he's actually someone I should be listening to or just another crazy thought in my half-crazy mind.

"You shall have your answer," he says and then disappears.

Man, the dude is seriously creepy! I'm starting to hope that he's just a figment of my imagination! It would be so much more comforting than thinking that there is actually somebody with this sort of power out there.

In silence I reach the den and step inside. Can-do has disappeared now, leaving this other wolf I don't recognize in charge. Fine, be that way, Can-do!

I step inside, ready to return to my exciting – yawn – cave existence. And then my blood runs cold. For standing upon a large, jagged rock at the back of the cave, glowing like an emerald in the darkness as all of the rays of the sun reflect upon it, is my Goblin mask, its mouth upturned in a ghastly grin.

"Now do you understand?" the woodsman's voice resounds in my head. And I see flashes of something, what I can't tell – but it looks to be… a glider? No time to ponder that. I run for the back of the cave, jumping over my duffle bag (which is still zipped) and retrieve the mask. Just as I do so, I feel myself getting light-headed. Losing all feeling in my body, I fall upon the ground…

* * *

**Author's Note: The Green Goblin's battle with Angel Face follows the general set-up of their climatic final battle in the comic. But the fight here is completely different than the one in that issue. Since Philip is dreaming, this battle - like the earlier dream-battle against the Hobgoblin - is not what really happened but represents what's on Philip's mind currently (i.e. his Lunatic Laugh). **


	8. To Glide Once More

**Philip Urich's life among his new wolf friends seems to have improved considerably. Yet, he can't help but feel that strange things are going on in Jasper Park. And, for poor Phil, they're about to get even stranger. The conflict between Hotshot and the Jasper wolves is heating up, and it seems like Philip can't help but get stuck in the middle! And Kate certainly isn't making things any easier for him. But maybe, just maybe, Phil can find a way to solve all these problems, a way to be a hero once again. But first, he must learn what it means "To Glide Once More!"**

**Author's Note: In this issue, Philip recollects the event that led to him giving up his Goblin identity. So far, this is the first major spoiler for anybody interested in reading the comic book - but it's nothing you won't find on any fan website (or Wikipedia for that matter), so I still included it. This message is just for fair warning. Also note that italics are used occasionally (but not too much) to indicate that Philip is remembering this event and not directly narrating the story.**

* * *

"Come on, Kate," Humphrey said, "you've been so busy lately that you need a break! Why don't you lighten up and have some fun?"

Kate was pacing around the valley. She was walking so fast that Humphrey was having difficulty keeping up with her.

She answered, "Because, it seems like the pack is always in danger from someone or other. And if I don't protect us, who will?"

"Well, the other Alphas are busy patrolling our borders, so if those three goons ever come back, we'll know about it long before."

Kate halted. Humphrey came up to her, hoping to have finally convinced her. But she looked away.

"Yeah, but… I still think that I should be on guard, just in case something happens or they somehow slip through."

Humphrey waved his paw as though waving her cares away. "You worry way too much. The world won't end just because you relax for an hour. Those three wolves haven't been seen in the valley for days and there is no other threat we're currently worried about."

Kate's eyes narrowed as she turned back to Humphrey. "No other threat, huh? What about the human?"

"You mean Phil?" Humphrey started to laugh. "He's no threat! Just look at him! He's smaller than Salty! And he acts as much like a fun-loving Omega as I do! How can you even consider him a threat?"

Anger appeared on Kate's face. "He's hiding something, Humphrey. I don't know what it is, but it's there. There is something about himself which he's not telling us. And I can't trust him as long as he won't reveal everything to us."

Humphrey shook his head. "Kate, Kate, Kate, just because he's a little private – which all humans are – doesn't mean there's some big dark secret he doesn't want us to know about. Besides, he tried to stand up for Lilly today because he's her friend. He's not looking to cause trouble for anybody."

"Oh, really?" Kate said, her eyes locking with Humphrey's. "Then, explain how sometimes he seems to talk to himself, or why he claims to have spoken to another person, or acts like he's trying to hide something when we're around."

"Humans are strange like that, Kate," Humphrey said as he started to walk past her. "We can't explain why they do all the stuff they do, but that doesn't mean they're bad people. I haven't seen anything from Phil that makes me worry, so I don't think you should, either."

"And what about that annoying laugh of his?"

"What about it? You know he always laughs when he's nervous."

"But it made us all flinch! That is not normal!"

"So what? Some people have laughs which are very painful for others to hear. I know Salty does. And I don't see why you're complaining, that may have been what stunned that big bozo going after your sister the other day."

"Don't be silly, Humphrey."

"That's like telling me not to breathe."

Kate shook her head. "There's something, I know there is."

Then she smiled sweetly, almost flirtatiously, as she walked toward Humphrey. "Though, Humphrey, if you really want me to relax, why don't you take Phil out log-sledding with you and the boys? Maybe than you can get a little more information out of him."

"Okay, I guess," Humphrey said with a shrug. "But we've still got an hour until I'm supposed to meet up with them. We got time."

"Actually, Humphrey, there's something else I have to do. So if you could get Phil and go log-sliding, I would really appreciate it."

She passed Humphrey and kept walking.

"But what's so important that you have to go so soon?" Humphrey called, forlorn, after her.

** "**Alpha business," she said over her shoulder, her mouth curved in a secretive smirk.

* * *

"I just don't understand you anymore, Lilly," Garth said as he sat alone with Lilly in their den. "Why do you insist on having a friendship with that human?"

Lilly glared at him, her fur still pulled back and both lavender eyes digging coldly into his own. "Why shouldn't I?"

"He's trouble. There's nothing good about him."

"How would you know? You're never around!"

"Look, he's hiding something! We all know it! Kate's as suspicious as I am! You have to trust your own sister's judgment – and that of the head Alpha!"

"No, I don't! After all, she was going to marry you, wasn't she?"

Garth looked at her, his green eyes revealing how deeply those words had wounded him. "How can you say that?"

Lilly was unfazed. "Easy. It's true. Except that she was smarter. She never really wanted to marry you."

Garth was silent. He did not know how to respond. His mind raced for something to say, anything. "Lilly, I… I… What has gotten into you? What has _he_ done to you?"

Lilly sighed. "Garth, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say those things. But I don't think you should judge Philip so harshly without getting to know him."

"You've known him for three days, Lilly," Garth said. "That's not what I'd call a lifelong friendship."

Lilly shook her head, "You just don't understand…"

Garth walked over to her and nuzzled her neck. "Lilly, be careful. All I want is for you to be safe."

Lilly was silent. Garth stepped back. He saw that she was still depressed, as her head was just as downcast as when Eve and Winston scolded her. Her parents had attempted to give her a punishment but Garth had successfully convinced them to let him talk to her instead. After all, they were grown wolves and she was his future mate. Why couldn't they talk things out rationally and come to an acceptable solution? Except, as he looked at Lilly, Garth was at his wits' end to find a solution to the whole mess that could vaguely be termed "rational."

He now remembered something. "Oh, but guess what?"

"What?" Lilly said without looking up.

Garth grinned, hoping that Lilly would see. "Since there hasn't been any major disturbance in the past few days, I've gotten Winston and Tony's permission to take the night off and take you to the Moonlight Howling."

Lilly's head darted up. A massive smile stretched across her face. "Really, you mean it?"

"Would I lie to you?" Garth said, happy that she was happy.

She pounced upon him, knocking him to the floor. "I love you, Garth."

"I love you too, Lilly," he said as they rubbed noses.

* * *

Humphrey slowly walked over to the previously-unoccupied den, where a brown Alpha was standing guard. This was Ace.

"Humphrey, my boy, what you doing in this side of the valley on such a beautiful day?" Ace said.

"Uh, hi, Ace. Just, you know, coming to see about Phil."

"Oh, are you here to relieve me? Has it been two hours already?"

Humphrey usually got along well with Ace, but he knew this was largely because Ace seemed unable to grasp that Humphrey was not an Alpha.

"No, no, I thought I'd just see if Phil wants to go log-sledding with me and some of the boys," Humphrey said with a smile, somewhat fake.

"I don't know if I can let you do that, Humphrey," Ace responded. "I am under very strict orders after all, and you know what happens to Alphas who don't follow orders." But then something seemed to occur to him. "Hey, but if you've got Phil, that means somebody's watching him, and I'd be free to make time with that cute grey lady from the eastern pack!"

Humphrey tried to keep his grin. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Okay, than go ahead. Take him away. I'll see you at the Moonlight Howling – hopefully not alone, if you get my drift!"

And lost in fantasies of the perfect evening with his lady love, Ace ran off down the mountain. Humphrey shrugged as he watched him go. "I hope I was never that bad with Kate," he said. "Come to think of it, I probably was."

Humphrey turned around and entered the den. There he saw Philip laying on the ground, apparently out cold, his arms around something which Humphrey couldn't get a good look at.

Humphrey nudged him. He started to come to.

"Boy, you weren't kidding about the eight-thirty thing!" Humphrey said. "I've never seen anyone sleep so much, and I'm an Omega!"

Philip jumped up and stared at him. He seemed disoriented and Humphrey did not know if he recognized him. "Is everything alright, buddy?" Humphrey asked.

And then, a spark of recognition appeared in Philip's eyes. "Oh, yeah. Humphrey, what are you doing here?"

"Well, since you're not doing anything particularly exciting right now, I thought that maybe you'd want to come with me and a few of the other Omegas for some log-sledding."

"Log-sledding? Sounds dangerous. Wake me when it's over." Philip then rolled around and tried to go back to sleep. But Humphrey rolled him over again.

"Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Where have I heard that before?"

Humphrey grabbed at Philip's sleeve. "Come on, you're the one who says I'm never available to hang out or anything! Come with me and get a full first-class tour of the thrills of Jasper! It'll be like nothing you've ever experienced!"

"I seriously doubt that," Philip said. But he started to get up. He pulled his duffle bag over toward him and cautiously put whatever was behind his back into it. Humphrey couldn't tell what it was but didn't see it as any matter for concern. Maybe Philip still slept with a stuffed animal, Humphrey thought. It would explain his affection for Lilly.

Philip got up. "Okay, lead on!" And they departed the den.

Once they were gone, Kate stepped out from around the corner. She had been waiting for thirty minutes for Humphrey to arrive and get Philip out of the cave. Now she had her chance. She ran into the den, making sure that Humphrey and Philip were gone, and headed straight for the green duffle bag. She smiled sneakily as she stood over it and began to unzip the zipper.

And then everything fell apart. "Kate, come quick!" Hutch yelled as he ran past.

"What is it?" Kate said, turning her head in alarm.

"It's those three wolves! They're back in the valley!"

Kate snarled. She looked down at the duffle bag, longing to open it and knowing that she would probably never get the opportunity again. But the pack was in a more immediate danger than whatever threat Philip might pose. So, with one last suspicious glance toward the bag, she took off out of the den and followed Hutch to the valley below.

* * *

I am going to die. There is no way around it. I am going to die. Humphrey and his three buddies have been showing me this thing called "log-sledding," where, apparently, you sled around on a log. Shocking, I know. It was all fine when they were content to demonstrate this bizarre and dangerous sport themselves, but now they actually want me to do it!

And, for some reason, I said yes. I have got to work on my willpower.

So, now here I am, sitting in the middle of this hollow top of a log, about to be sent down a hill with various pointy rocks, sharp twigs, and other ways of causing slow and painful death. And I have no idea how to control this thing. Which all leads me to a single conclusion; I am going to die.

"Ready, Phil?" the small, black wolf named Shakey asks.

"No," I say, not lying.

"Great, let's go," says the big wolf named Mooch.

And then the four of them heave and ho with all of their might and I'm sent careening down the hill like I'm on some demented dry-land version of Splash Mountain.

"Turn left!" Humphrey yells as I head straight for a very large and unaccommodating tree. Thanks, Humphrey. I never would have thought of that. Now just tell me how!

"Lean to the left!" the tall wolf named Salty calls after him. Okay, I'll take that. So I do and I manage to just miss becoming tree-pizza by about an inch or two. Of course, that sends me into the path of a very large and mean-looking boulder. Today is not my day.

"Go right!' says Mooch. So I lean to the right and manage to sail pass that boulder with flying colors. You know what, I actually think I'm getting the hang of this thing! In a way, it all seems so familiar for some reason…

And then I'm thrown for a loop, literally, as I hit an extremely jagged rock and am sent flying through the air.

"He's a goner," I hear Salty say from the ground. I have to admit, that is a pretty safe estimate. It bears repeating: I am going to die.

And then, something takes hold of me. Or rather, something starts coming back to me. Now I know why the leaning seemed so natural before, and why this is so strangely natural now. As I soar, I push myself upward and kick the log around 90 degrees. This may be one of the craziest stunts I've ever attempted, but if I could just pilot this thing like my glider and actually, you know, glide with it, I may have a chance of not dying.

And for one or two seconds, the Green Goblin lives again within me. As I steady myself and grab the front of the log as though it were my glider, I feel the rush of the air, the blast of the breeze on my face, the freedom of soaring high above everyone and everything below. It takes all I've got to keep from letting out a Lunatic Laugh into the wild blue yonder. I am free again!

But like the man says, all good things must come to an end. As I pass the thicket of trees, trying to slow my descent by using the air currents, I see a sight which makes my blood run cold. There are five wolves. I immediately recognize Garth and Kate, snarling and growling, while Lilly is cowering behind them. And on the other side are Razor and Turk, those two goons that have been causing so much trouble around here lately. But strangely, their big man himself is nowhere to be seen. I guess he leaves the dirty work to his cronies. Typical.

It looks like there's going to be a fight. And I have a sneaky suspicion as to how that would turn out. I think Kate and Garth are pretty tough, but that Turk guy is unstoppable. What's worse, I hate to think what would happen to Lilly if he manages to get to her. Perhaps the worst thing of all, however, is that I'm now zooming unstoppably toward them.

So what the heck am I supposed to do now?

And then, memories come flooding back to me. In particular, memories of my greatest triumph – and my greatest tragedy. The thing that was the most undeniably bone-headed stunt I ever attempted. It paid off in the end, but then it was also the thing which cost me my career as the Green Goblin. I remember.

It was during that whole big battle with Onslaught a while back. No, I wasn't part of that battle – that's only for A-list super-jocks, y'understand – but Onslaught had sent these giant robots called the Sentinels to scout out and destroy any super-humans in New York City. For whatever reason, one of these robo-baddies had decided to focus its attention on the Daily Bugle, where my Uncle Ben is a top reporter. Me, Meredith, and Lynn Walsh were all working there as interns at the time and as it stood, we were all going to die.

Now, I wanted to stay safe and hidden, maybe under a nice desk or in a stall in the men's room, but the thought of everybody around me being killed was just too much to bear. So, I made for the top of the Daily Bugle (actually, Lynn dragged me and Merry there, but I purposefully stayed behind when they went back down) and used this old video game controller I had hooked up to my glider to bring it and my Goblin gear to the rooftop.

Knowing that I had to make like a true super-hero, I battled this robot dude for a while and nothing seemed to be affecting him. What was worse, he actually smacked me so hard that my glider took a pretty bad tumble and went crashing to the ground. And that was it for me, yes sir! As the baddy approached, I threw off my Goblin mask and now that I had no powers, the thing ignored me. A failure at being a hero, I was saved by being a coward. The end.

Except, it wasn't the end. Y'see, that completely chicken-hearted action got me thinking of all the times in my life when I had given up without a fight. But I was different person now than I was back then. And I realized that there was just no giving up this time. I grabbed up my mask and took the air again, because whatever happened, my name was Philip Urich and I was the Green Goblin! And I was going to defeat this robo-goon no matter what it took!

But my glider had been so badly damaged in the fall that I knew I couldn't keep it in the air for long. My only solution soon became apparent. I strapped my remaining pumpkin bombs to my glider and sent the thing careening straight into the head of the Sentinel. And he was completely pulverized! I mean, his head exploded! But, at the same time, I got caught in the backdraft and a shard of metal from my glider ricocheted back toward me, striking my Goblin mask in the exact spot where the electric charger that gave me my powers was located. And from that day to this, I've never been able to get the mask to work again…

Ah, bittersweet memories, but this is no time for sentiment. I realize that, if I could duplicate my career-ending maneuver, I might be able to save Lilly and Kate and Garth. I'll only have one chance at this, so I better get it right! I lean and glide enough to direct the log straight at the big guy, Turk. I do my best to keep it going in his general direction as I feel the momentum increase. I'm in a full downward spiral now and I feel that the moment is just about right.

I pass a small tree. _Time to eject!_ I jettison my makeshift trusty steed and jump for one of the branches, grabbing onto it in the nick of time. The branch starts to break under my weight, but I pray that it holds just long enough for me to see the result of my action. I watch from my precarious perch as the log goes flying downward, downward, toward the valley floor.

It sweeps down in full kamikaze mode. Kate leaps backward, twirling around and pushing Garth and Lilly out of the way. Razor just kind of ducks and rolls backward as far as he can. Turk, being big and slow, ain't so lucky. The thing's headed right for him!

_I got a surprise for you, and I want it in your eye, robot guy!_

And it makes contact with his noggin, sending him flying back as wood splinters in the air around him. The two halves of the log (Man, his head is hard!) swirl around him and hit the ground with incredible force, bouncing upward and landing on top of him as he falls upon his back. That looks like it hurt. Kate, Garth, and Lilly all exchange looks of surprise and confusion.

But I don't even get a chance to bask in my successful piloting. The branch I'm holding gives way and I fall onto the ground with a massive thump, possibly dislocating my spine. After I lay there for a few moments, the pain starts to numb a little. Guess my spine is fine, at least this time.

I lay there for what feels like forever until I see Humphrey and his four friends crowd around above me.

"Wow, we thought you were done-for for sure!" Humphrey proclaims. "What happened?"

I begin to sit up. "Man, after that rock sent me flying, I felt like I was going to go forever. That is until I noticed that the ground was looking to get personally acquainted with me. So I bagged that scene and grabbed onto the nearest tree branch. And it broke."

They all start laughing. "We've had some close calls," Salty says, but never as close as that!"

"Yeah, you're our hero!" Shakey proclaims. Glad to know I'm a hero to somebody, at least.

"So," Mooch asks, "where did the log go?"

They all turn their heads, and so do I, to look directly in front of us. And there is Turk, still buried under that log. Kate's walking over to inspect him carefully. Garth is standing over Lilly, still trying to protect her from any possible retaliation. Razor is just kinda standing there, apparently stunned by what he's seen.

"Oh, no," Humphrey says. Him and the other guys run toward the scene.

"Thanks, guys, I don't need any help," I call after them, but the truth is I'm just as anxious to see what's happening as they are. I get to my feet and run in their direction.

"Kate, what's happening?" Humphrey says as he arrives.

Kate looks shocked. "Humphrey, I thought you were with…" and then she sees me, "Phil?"

"Yeah, we were log-sledding when Phil's log went out of control and flew down over… here, I guess. Is he going to be okay?"  
Humphrey's referring to Turk, who's now trying his best to get out from under the logs. I don't see why he should be so concerned about one of the bad guys, but to each his own, I guess.

"Phil? It was Phil's log?" Kate says, her eyes darting from me to the log and back again.

"Yeah," I say, "the thing just went flying and I had to jump out! I was lucky to catch a tree branch and was only moderately injured in the ensuing fall."  
I hear Lilly laugh a little and I feel slightly better about the whole situation.

Finally, Turk forces himself out of the two-log-half pile up and stumbles around. "You gonna pay for that, my boy," he says, but then immediately collapses.

"Apparently, it's one of those delayed payment plans," I say. I've really got to learn when to shut up.

"Razor," Turk says. "I think you're going to have to take tonight's patrol. I'm gonna go lay down." He gets up slowly and then lumbers off into the trees.

"Tonight's patrol?" Humphrey says.

"Yeah," Razor says, not bothering to hide his hostility at all, "as I was just telling your pretty girlfriend here, me and Turk are going to be hanging around tonight, to make sure you don't try and get out of our agreement. Or at least I will. The boss seems to think that you've been collecting caribou and not sharing it with us. I'm going to make sure you don't try any funny business during your little Moonlight Howling."

"But, we already told you," Kate says, "we've barely been able to collect any caribou at all because we've been too busy dealing with you! How can you even demand caribou now?"

"Them's the breaks, sister," says Razor. "If you don't like it, maybe you should take it up with the boss. I'm sure he'd be very open to a personal visit."

Kate growls. "I might take him up on that offer, if I knew where to find him."

Razor chuckles. "As if I'm falling for that old trick! See you later, guys and gals!"

He then begins to scamper off toward the trees. Kate and Garth begin to relax. Lilly crawls out from under Garth and began to make her way toward me.

Razor seems to have heard her, as he suddenly turns. Looking right at her, he said, "And as for you, I'm sure that as soon as Turk is better, he'll be right back here to see to you personally! Ha ha ha!"

Lilly sulks backward and whimpers. She looks almost reduced to tears. Garth comes over and tries to comfort her, but it's no use. She keeps staring in fear at Razor as he disappears behind a tree. And I've had enough.

Enough of these three bullies trying to take what isn't theirs.

Enough of them threatening these good wolf-people, who might actually be my friends.

Enough of what they're trying to do to Lilly, who out of all of us doesn't deserve this.

Enough of being the spineless wimp in the room, er, valley.

Enough of being the world's biggest dork.

Enough of wanting to go and hide away while everybody else is facing constant danger.

Enough of asking, "So what the heck should I do now?"

Enough of not doing all that I can do to stop these three goons in their tracks.

As I see it, Lilly and Humphrey and Winston and the others have all been so kind to me over these past few days (well, maybe not Kate, or Garth, or Eve, or Tony, or Can-do, but still), that the least I can do is return the favor.

And so, without saying anything to anyone, without announcing my intentions in any way, I chase off after Razor, going as fast as my feet can fly. And they can fly. I feel like I've got my old Goblin speed back as I dart around a tree and start to catch up with that off-white oddball.

"Phil, come back!" I hear Kate call out. Too bad! 'Cause puny old Philip Urich can't come to the phone right now, but if you want to, you can always speak to the Green Goblin!

Hahahahaha!

It's not too loud, my Lunatic Laugh. Not this time. But Razor gets the message loud and clear. He turns around and sees me running toward him.

"Hey, buddy, are you choking up or something. Maybe you should stop the heavy exertion, and then you wouldn't wheeze so much!"

Choking up? Is he hard of hearing, at least before I turned my laugh on? He doesn't even recognize it, though I can see from how he flinches that it's having an effect. Oh well, I didn't really want to reveal the tricks up my sleeve just yet.

So I stop and I say, "Hey, man, I just came here 'cause I heard all about how you're going to be wandering around here tonight."

Razor grins mockingly, not unlike my new green friend. "And let me guess, you've come here on behalf of your little white girlfriend to tell me to lay off, am I right?"

I hold out my hands and shake my head furiously. "No, man, you've got me all wrong! It's your welfare I'm thinking about!"

He snarls. "That some sort of threat, buddy? Those are big words from someone as puny as you!"

"Hold it, that's not what I'm about at all! It's just that, there's stories about this place, man."

Razor smiles. "Oh, like I'm a newborn pup who's gonna fall for that stuff!" But then his smile disappears and he grows serious. There's a hint of fear in his eyes. "What stories?"

"Well, I ain't been around too long," I say, knowing that I got him right where I want him, "but I've heard these wolves whispering and they don't like to be wandering around the valley at night. They say that wolves who do that don't often come back."

Razor tries to laugh it off, but he doesn't have it in him. "It would be typic… typical-like of these… these bozos to think that. But what happens?"

I shrug. "Hey, man, I ain't exactly their biggest confidant, but from what I hear tell, there are goblins in these parts. Giant green goblins that only come out at night and feast upon the flesh of any living creature they find."

Razor chuckles, very nervously. "Really? That's a silly… silly little superstition they got there. But… just sayin' they're right… how do you know when these goblins are around?"

My face goes all serious, and believe me, it's all I can do to keep from cracking up. "That's the thing, man. These goblins can appear out of nowhere and when they get a hold of you, they take you just like that." I snap my fingers. At least I try to; I was never very good at it. "But, just as there about to tear you to shreds, they let out this horrible, blood-curdling laughter that's enough to make your body lose all feeling. And then, you're never heard from again."

And then I smile. "But you're probably right. Just an old superstition, right? I mean, green goblins, that's just crazy-talk in my book!" Little does he know that that's because I'm so good at talking crazy.

"Y…yeah, sure it is," he says, though now I can see him shaking under all that fur. "Jus… just some old story… mothers tell their pups, or somethin'. Nothing… nothing to worry about." But by now, as he wanders off into the woods, he's talking more to himself than to me.

I'm feeling pretty dang good about myself as I turn to walk back toward the gang. That disappears when I see Kate standing in front of me, looking very angry. (But then, how else does she look at me?)

"What did you say to him?" she barks.

"Hey, chill out, Kate," I say.

"What was it? I think maybe you're going to do something foolish and get yourself killed, but then I discover that you're just chatting with our number-three enemy! What is wrong with you! Don't you care about Lilly at all and what she's going through? How do you think she took it when you charged off – possibly to your death – and how do you think she's gonna take it when I tell her that you were just sharing a few laughs with the guy who was threatening her?"

And that is just below the belt. "Don't bring Lilly into this, Kate," I say as I walk past her, "just don't."

"Then just tell me what you were saying to him!" she yells as I walk away.

I smile. "Just an old ghost story, is all."

* * *

"I don't understand!" Lilly said, her voice rising higher than Humphrey and his friends had ever heard it before. "You promised!"

"I know," Garth said, "but this complicates things. I can't guarantee your safety if Razor is going to be trampling around the Moonlight Howling."

"It's always the same," Lilly said. "Just another reason to get away from me."

"You know that's not true," Garth said.

Lilly was silent, her purple eyes looking into Garth's. She knew it wasn't true but it was how she felt whenever he broke another promise or another date. She could feel that his heart was in the right place but that didn't make her any less angry.

She didn't need to say anything and Garth didn't need to respond. They both understood how the other felt. "Couldn't you just take the night off?" Lilly said, almost pleading.

"Come on, Lilly," Humphrey said, trying to keep the peace as an Omega should – he had simply never needed to do that with another Omega before and he never thought Lilly would be the first Omega he'd have to do it for – "You know Garth has a lot of duties to perform. It hasn't been easy on me and Kate either, but we accept it for the good of the pack."

"That's easy for you, Humphrey," Lilly said. "You have friends. I don't have anybody."

"You've got me."

Lilly perked up as she turned her eyes to see Philip reemerging from the undergrowth. She ran toward him, ignoring Garth's low growl.

"You alright, kid?" Philip said to her.

"I'm fine," she said. "What about you?"

"I honestly haven't felt this good in a long time," he said.

Kate now came running out from the undergrowth. "Lilly, get away from him!"

"Why?" Lilly said.

"I caught him consorting with Razor," Kate said. "They seemed to be quite good friends, if you ask me."

"Please, Kate," Philip said, "I was just upset about Lilly so I went and decided to politely try to frighten Razor off. As you can imagine, he didn't end up too scared of me."

The snarl fell from Kate's face. "Oh, um, why didn't he just kill you or something?"

"Like I said, he didn't see me as much of a threat," Philip said. "Guess that's what I get for being a human Omega."

The wolven Omegas, including Lilly, laughed.

"Kate, I think you owe somebody an apology," Humphrey said.

Kate smiled furtively. "Sorry, Phil. But don't expect to hear that again."

"It's alright, Kate," Philip said, "but if you don't mind, could you escort me to my camper one day? There's some stuff I'd really like to get there."

"Sure," Kate said. She was still suspicious, but this overt hostility was getting her nowhere. Better to play it calm and collected and see just what Philip was up to.

"Well, I'm glad that's settled," Humphrey said. "We better get back so that you guys can explain the situation to Winston and Tony."

Kate and Lilly nodded. Garth looked at Lilly, wanting to say something but not knowing what could make her forgive him. They all began to walk toward the mountain.

"Phil," Lilly said, "are you going to the Moonlight Howling?"

Garth's jaw dropped and he stopped in his tracks, but Philip did not notice.

"The what?"

"The Moonlight Howling! We hold it at every full moon. It's a chance for all the wolves to get together and howl!"

Philip took a moment to answer. "You know, Lilly, I'd love to, but I actually think I'm going to call it an early night. Being put in danger several times really takes it out of me!"

Lilly's ears drooped down, as did her tail. She didn't answer.

"But why can't Garth go with you?" Philip said.

"Please, don't start that again," Humphrey said over his shoulder. He was walking next to Kate at the head of the group.

"No, I think Garth should go with Lilly," Kate said.

"You do?" Humphrey, Lilly, and Garth said together.

"But, I've got to keep Lilly and the pack safe from Razor," Garth said.

Kate smiled over her shoulder. "I can do it. It's about time that you had a night off. I'll patrol the valley for Razor. Me and Hutch and Can-do. You and Lilly can have some fun and then you can let me and Humphrey go at the next one, if this isn't solved by then."

Garth came up to Lilly. He smiled at her, which she returned. He had hoped she would, but had been afraid she would still be mad. Yet she seemed to be perfectly happy with the idea. Garth looked up to see Philip smiling as well. As Garth continued to glare, Philip gave him a thumbs-up.

* * *

**You've waited for it, true believes, and now it's finally going to happen! Our emerald idol is at last ready to make his triumphant return! It'll all be in**** out next issue as Philip Urich becomes "A Goblin Once Again!"**


	9. A Goblin Once Again!

**It's finally here! The one you've been waiting for! The Most Maniacal Super Hero of All is back and just when the united pack needs a hero the most! But will the Green Goblin be able to save Jasper Park or will he only end up complicating matters for his new friends? Does he have the makings of a real super hero or is he just a man who can't recognize when he's in way over his head? The only way to find out is to keep reading as Philip Urich finally becomes "A Goblin Once Again!"**

* * *

My name is Philip Urich and I am the Green Goblin. At least for one night, I am once again the Green Goblin. That's what I think to myself as I carefully unpack my Goblin outfit from the duffle bag. As the sun goes down over the mountains, I try to stay out of the sight of the many couples walking up the mountain path. I fill my two bags of tricks with all the pumpkins, razor-bats, and gas-ghosts I think I might need for tonight.

It's not that I'm expecting some sort of epic battle or anything. It's not that. As I see it, this one-night-only return of the heroic Green Goblin will be just a cameo appearance. I go down to the valley, put the frights into Razor so that he and his buddies think twice about coming around again, and then beat it back here and return my gear to its duffle bag forever more. Maybe if I 'm done fast enough, I can even take Lilly up on her offer and see what this Moonlight Howling's all about.

True, it briefly occurred to me to make this a full-time return, but that was during the brief period when it felt like my Goblin powers were coming back in. But it didn't last; now I'm about as much of a weakling as I ever was. I think I might have retained my Lunatic Laugh but other than that…

Weird, though. I always thought that the Lunatic Laugh was merely a property of my Goblin mask. But when I used it today, I wasn't wearing my mask. I was so exhilarated that I didn't even stop to think that I was doing the Laugh without my mask; it just seemed so natural. Now it only seems… weird.

As much as I'd like to ponder this further, I can't. It's nearly dark now and I have to start getting ready if I want to make my appointment. This is the first time I'm using my Goblin costume again, not counting using the finger-blasters to try and microwave the caribou meat they give me (Doesn't taste great that way – but there's no way I'm eating that stuff raw!), and I have to make sure I have it all ready so that I can don it quickly without being noticed. So I pick up my Goblin mask and… uh-oh! The Goblin mask stares back at me, completely lacking any eyes. There are just a few busted red shards where the eyes used to be. Foul!

Once again, my singular ability to not think things through before I act has got me into another tough spot. I can't go out with no eyes or else he'll be able to see that it's just pathetic old Philip under the mask. I need to find some replacements, pronto!

Then I notice Ace standing outside my den. It must be his turn for guard duty. But what's most interesting is that he's got this pair of sunglasses with huge yellow lenses. Those could be perfect! I'll just have to figure out a way to take them from him.

"Hey, Ace," I say, walking up to him.

"Hey, Phil," Ace says, apparently pretty down in the dumps.

"You're not going to the Moonlight Howling?"

Ace sighs. "Unfortunately not. And I'm so upset! I managed to get this sweet honey from the eastern pack to agree to go with me and now I'm going to have to stand her up because Winston ordered me to guard you."

"That's foul, man," I say. "If I were you, I'd bag this scene and take your girl to the Howling."

"But, Winston'll kill me if I don't keep an eye on you, not that I think you'll escape or anything. If you ask me, this whole guard idea is pretty silly."

I grin. "Hey, well, I think I might have the perfect solution for you and that… sweet honey… of yours. Winston can't know you're not watch me if I'm still here after the Howling, right?"

Ace shrugs. "I guess so."

"And I said I was going to get an early night, didn't I?"

"You did."

"So, you go and come back when the Howling's over. I'll have your back. I'll pretend like you're guarding me the whole time and nobody will ever be the wiser!"  
Ace beams. "Brilliant, Phil! You got a good head on your shoulders!"

What, me? Nah!

"Just one more question," I say. "Where did you get those rockin' shades?"

"Oh, these? Some human family camping in Jasper left them behind a month ago and I found them while scavenging for food at their campsite. I always wear them to Moonlight Howlings, cause the ladies love 'em."

"Real fresh, man, but you know what all we humans are doing now? Like, what the latest fashion craze is?"

"No, what?"

I take the glasses from his head and carefully punch out the lenses. Luckily they're cheap enough glasses that I can do it even without any strength. "The in thingis to wear sunglasses without lenses. That's what ladies dig now."

I place the rims back on his head and pocket the lenses.

Ace smiles. "Hey, thanks man! Now I'm sure to sweep all those little ladies off their feet!"

"Yeah, sure," I say. If only he knew how much of a dork he looks like right now!

With a great howl, Ace goes bounding off. I guess he's getting his practice in.

Finally, I'm left alone. That kills two birds with one stone; now I have two new lenses for my Goblin mask and no one will be around to think it's suspicious when a giant jade monstrosity saunters out of the Urich den.

I run over and grab my mask. Pulling the lenses out of my pocket, I carefully fit them to the mask. It's no perfect fit, as I don't have anything to make them adhere permanently and I've still got some jagged pieces of red here and there, but they're in tight enough to hold for the night.

Okay, here we… um… come on… Is there a battle-cry generating website I can visit or something? 'Cause this is just getting embarrassing.

Slowly, carefully, I don my Goblin suit. I pull up the green pants and purple loincloth, attaching my bags of tricks to the large silver ring around my waste. I pull the green bodysuit over my chest, fitting my arms through the purple cloak and the silver metal rings before pulling up my green sleeves. I make sure the three slices of the cloak are straightened out and that the large spiked shoulder pads are not going to poke me in the head. Next I pull up my large purple boots with their spikes and silver rings and then done my spiked, silver ringed gloves (Think ol' Harr was a bit obsessed with spikes and silver rings? Yeah, me too.) with the fabric cut off of the two outer fingers and thumb to reveal the sharp green claws. Finally, I pick up my Goblin mask and pull it over my head, half expecting (maybe even half-hoping) to feel the painful electric shock surge through my body. But nothing happens, though I am happy to report that the new shades are working fine, even if I now see the world in bright yellow. I pull the long, jagged hood over my mask, forcing my long pointy ears through two holes on the sides. The long stocking-cap thing hangs down behind my head while the jagged widow's-peak hangs down into my face, covering one of my eyes.

I'm ready.

It feels strange to be back in my old – would you call it a uniform? Strange, yet somehow familiar. It feels wrong but it feels right. It feels like a life I've left behind but it also feels like I've come home after a long time away. I feel both incredibly foolish and incredibly amazing at the same time. Strange, huh?

Now it's pretty dark out and all of the wolves seem to have gone up the mountain. I think it's the best chance I'll get to get out of here undetected. I go to the cave and peer out, looking all around to make sure nobody at all could be watching me. Then when I'm sure of it, I start out, still looking all around me all the while. And then I go down the path as quickly as I can. I'm about half-way down when I hear voices. Perfect! I thought everyone was supposed to be at the Moonlight Howling! Who could possibly still be walking up at this time of the night?

Then I see those two Omega girls, Sweets and Candy, walking up the path, gossiping about the other wolves. I consider that my best bet is either to hide among the crags or jump off the path and hope for a smooth landing. On second thought, neither one seems particularly satisfying! So I crouch down, hoping that maybe I can jump for one or the other before they come closer.

I hear them talking. Sweets says, "But can you believe Lilly?"

Lilly? _Lilly?_

"I know," Candy says. "She's already engaged to the most attractive Alpha around but she's suddenly got the hots for that ugly human!"

"That girl is such a loser!" Sweets says with a laugh. "Don't you think so, Candy? Candy?"

I shouldn't have listened to what they were saying, I should have bagged it down the mountain, but I couldn't even think straight with them talking about Lilly like that. Now I'm in trouble, because Candy's noticed me. She's stopped in her tracks, with a look of absolute terror. Sweets now turns her head and mimics her friend's expression.

Great! Just great!

I raise myself to my full height. My cloak falls away from me to reveal my large, green chest. That, along with all the silver rings and the yellow of my eyes, must be shining in the moonlight. (Remember, everything looks shiny to me with these yellow lenses!)

"Howdy," I say, doing my best to disguise my voice. Smooth, real smooth.

"Wha… what is it, Sweets?" Candy says.

"I don't know, but it looks nasty and ugly!" Sweets replies.

Okay, ladies, you can put down Philip Urich all you want but when you start up with bashing Lilly, that's something I just can't stand for! And, above all else, nobody disses the Green Goblin!

"Don't mind me, ladies," I say, "I'm just your friendly neighborhood boogeyman. And I only mess with people who say nasty things behind other's backs." I slowly walk toward them. "And you two nice girls wouldn't do a thing like that, would you now?"

They both tremble in absolute terror. Each tries to offer a small shake of the head.

"Good, because if you did, then I'd have to give you a dose of this!" I point my finger toward the mountain and press down on my palm, launching a bolt of electricity into the cliff wall and causing several small-to-medium sized rocks to fall down onto the path. Sweets and Candy are so terrified that they run straight past me, getting caught in my cloak as they do their best to escape before finally managing to scurry around the turn.

Hahahahahahahaha! I laugh as they run past. Lilly, though you'll never know it, this one's for you!

"Scaring two innocent she-wolves out of their wits," a voice says. "You must be so very proud of yourself."

I look around, though I don't need to. I already know it's my good green friend, come to share some more laughs.

"What do you want?" I say as he walks up next to me.

"Don't be so hostile, my friend," he says. "I was merely wondering if that was the most heroic use of your identity."

"Tough! They were mocking Lilly and I wasn't about to stand for that!"

He laughs. "It is always Lilly with you! You are growing quite attached – some might even say obsessed – with that young she-wolf. Doesn't that sound rather crazy?"

It's my turn to laugh. "Hahahaha! Then it's standard operating procedure for me! Look, buddy, Lilly's the only reason I'm getting dressed up tonight so you should be thanking her, not criticizing her."

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" he says.

And for once, I don't know how to answer.

He smiles. "Nice shades, by the way, Green Goblin." And then he's suddenly gone and I'm on my own again. I hate how he does that!

So, I lumber down the rest of the path, thinking about how hard it is to move down a steep mountain in all this heavy stuff without my powers. But, I eventually get to the valley floor and begin shambling through the trees. As the full moon shines down on me, I can't help but think that this is about the most appropriate setting for the return of the Green Goblin. I mean, I am a grade-A lunatic after all! Hahaha! But my laughter is cut short as I think back to what I just did. I don't know if Sweets and Candy are going to tell anybody about what they saw (Like, probably!) but I'm just hoping that nobody will believe them.

It's a chore to get around the valley without my powers, but somehow I manage, and now I'm just on the lookout for any sign of Razor. I mean, he may be quicker, stronger, and more agile than me, but how much ground can he really cover? Not much, I hope!

Of course, I shamble about for so long without any sign of him that I begin to think that maybe my hopes will be dashed. That's when I hear this whimper, like when a puppy is scared of fireworks. And then I see… Razor?

This is hilarious! Man, he looks completely terrified! He's shaking with every step he takes and throwing that huge snout of his over his shoulders at every opportunity. And he's letting out those loud whimpers the whole time! This is gonna be easier than I thought!

I tip-toe over, as best as I can in this get-up, and sneak around Razor as he looks behind his back. I hop upon an old log and wait for him to walk past. As he's just about near me, I pull out a pumpkin bomb. As he gets to where I am, he stops and surveys his surroundings. I'm right behind him now. I push in the little stem on the pumpkin and its mean face comes alive with fire shooting from every available opening. Now I'm ready. I tap Razor on the shoulder.

He turns around and a look of absolute honest-to-goodness terror fills his face. It looks like he's about to die of fright right here and now!

"Lovely evening, isn't it?" I say, trying to make my voice as closely approximate to my old Goblin one as I can. It ain't easy, but I think I manage.

He doesn't respond. Actually he doesn't do much of anything. His eyes just dart up and down my form, and then to the flaming jack-o'-lantern in my hand. His mouth opens slowly and he tries to scream. Nothing comes out. He's shivering so much I almost expect him to just shiver apart. And I'm loving it all.

"Hahahahahahahaha!" I give him a taste of my Lunatic Laugh. That's about all he can stand and, remembering that he has these things called legs, he tries to scurry away at top speed. Instinctively, I jump and – to my complete surprise – I manage to sail over him and land right in his path.

Hahahahahahahaha! The Green Goblin rules!

He's petrified again. I think the poor baby's going to wet himself. Ewww, he just did!

I grab him by the fur of his chest and hold him against my face. With a wicked smile I ask, "And what's a little puny puppy like you doing out all by yourself on a night like this? Don't you know that it's dangerous? Hahahahaha!"

Man, what a wimp! He even starts to cry. But I'm not letting up, not after what him and his buddies have been doing to my friends. Not after what they've been doing to Lilly!

I grin as wide as I can, revealing all my sharp Goblin fangs, and say, "I guess I know what I'm having for tonight's supper! Hahahahahaha!"

And he faints! I mean, just dead away, faints right there! Really, the nerve! I was just getting warmed-up here! Man, I could have really put the frights on him if I woulda got the chance!

"Who's there?"

I recognize the voice immediately, and it's the one I'd least like to hear right now. Oh man, it's Kate! I completely forgot that she was going to be patrolling the area, looking for Razor. Hutch and Can-do are probably right behind her, too!

I've got to get out of here before she spots me! I drop Razor and turn off my pumpkin, throwing it back into my bag of tricks. Then I high-tail it to the nearest tree and try to hide.

Kate walks cautiously into my line of vision as I peak from behind the tree. She sniffs around, her ears perked up and her eyes darting around. Then she sees Razor lying on the ground.

"Razor," she says, "what happened to you?"

Of course, he doesn't answer, having scared himself to sleep. She sniffs him, trying to piece together what caused his current state (Me!). While she's distracted, I figure it's the perfect time to make my great escape. I start to run.

But she catches sight of me. "Wait! Who's there? Stop!" Yeah right, lady! If you get your paws on me here, I know you'll kill me for sure. And I don't want to see that happen!

I glance over my shoulder to see her running after me. I figure my only chance is to try and climb into one of the trees or something. So I jump for a nearby trunk and, to my further surprise, I spring right on it and am able to propel myself to another one. I grab a branch and swing myself up higher to where I'm able to grab another and then another. I smile as I allow myself to believe that I've now prevented Kate from pursuing me.

And then I look over my shoulder again. I see Kate do exactly what I do, leaping from trunk to trunk, branch to branch, flipping herself around in the air and ricocheting off the trees like nobody's business.

And I am sooooo out of here! I start to jog on the tree tops, bouncing from one branch to another and ricocheting myself off of any particularly tall trunks. She does the same. I grab a few vines here and there and do some Tarzan actions, but she's undeterred. She just manages to whirl around like a tornado on fire or something. I'm even forced to take a page from her book and adopt some really cool flips myself to get to trees that are spread out far apart. It's times like these that make me really miss my Goblin Glider!

It's like we're involved in some sort of aerial ballet of death ten feet above the forest floor! I'd really be upset about not having a tape of this if I weren't so concerned about escaping with my life!

But Kate isn't giving up. She's persistent, I'll give her that. And even with all my new-found fancy footwork, I can't seem to shake her. She's closing in on me, no doubt about it! Where I weave, she weaves. Where I duck, she ducks. Where I dodge, she dodges. I haven't seen moves like this since that time I hung out with my uncle's old pal Daredevil!

And she's got this look in her eye of absolute determination. It's like I'm her newest caribou-fix. I mean, that's scary enough when she's got it trained on someone like Razor or Turk, but when she's giving me the full brunt of it… well, I think I know what my next nightmare will be about. I'm absolutely terrified and I'm the one in the monster costume!

I've got to find some way to get away from her! I think about everything in my bag of tricks. Let's see, I don't want to blow her up with my pumpkins or slice her with my bats because she is, at least on some weird level, my friend. And I could use my gas-ghosts but, given that this workout must make it hard for her to breathe anyway (I know it's having that effect on me!) they might just end up suffocating her. Oh, she's really on my tail now! Just a few more seconds and I'll be her newest conquest. And that's when I realize that I really have no choice. I know what I have to use. I already know that I'm going to feel like a real jerk when I do but, like, what are my options? I'm really sorry, Kate. I wish I could tell you how sorry this is going to make me. Y'see, everything I can do you can do better, except for the one thing I've got that I know you can't possibly match… my Lunatic Laugh:

_**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!** _

Kate pauses mid-flip, her face contorted into a look of absolute pain. I can see in her eyes that she's no longer all there. The lights are on but, like, nobody's home. For a moment, she just seems to hover there in the air, as though she's actually flying. And then, she goes down like a rock. I hear a sickening thud as she crashes to the ground.

I stop for a breather, hugging the trunk of a large tree so as I don't fall embarrassingly to the ground. And I think about how much of a stooge I feel like for doing that to her. I stand corrected; that look on her face as she fell from the sky will be the one to haunt my dreams. And I begin to wonder whether she's okay. I mean, I think she should be, but what if she isn't? I wonder if I should go take a look.

And then I wonder if I really have lost my ever-lovin' mind. If I go back and Kate's alright, then she'll see me and be able to chase me again! I mean, whatever happened to her, this is the perfect opportunity for me to bag the scene and nobody would be any wiser. Besides, Hutch and Can-do should be along to help her out. They've had to have been with her before, even though I didn't see them, and I very much doubt that they didn't hear my laughing. (I wouldn't be surprised if all the wolves on the mountain heard my laughing – though I really hope they didn't!) Even if they don't come, Kate's a big girl and she can handle herself.

But I just can't get that image of her face – of those blank eyes – out of my head. Something was definitely wrong there and, no matter how many times I mentally yell at myself for not banging for the safety of my den, I just can't leave her without finding out what happened. So, I swing over to where she went down and peer out from the trees.

And there she is, unconscious on the ground, her head lying on a rock. The moonlight shines on her head and shimmers in what, even with these yellow lenses, I can still recognize as blood. Oh man, this is foul! She must of hit her head when she crashed!

My heart races as I jump over. I've killed her, I just know it! The Green Goblin killed Kate… no, Philip Urich killed Kate... I killed Kate. How am I ever going to be able to look Lilly in the eyes (erm, eye… depending on how she's wearing her fur that day) again knowing that I was the one who killed her sister, her own flesh and blood?

(I love when Lilly wears her fur back. Her lavender eyes are about the most beautiful things I've ever seen.)

But I killed her sister! I must be the world's biggest dork! What the heck am I supposed to do now?

I feel around her neck for a pulse and – Phew! – I manage to find one. She's alive! I didn't kill her, she's alive! But even a dork like me can tell that the blood flowing from her head isn't good. I have to get her to someone who can help. Since I have no idea where Hutch and Can-do have gotten off to, my best bet is the Moonlight Howling.

But that would mean making an appearance as the Green Goblin in front of the whole assembled pack! It's bad enough that Sweets and Candy and Kate all saw me decked out in my emerald apparel! I mean, I only dressed up like this to scare off Razor, not to make some kind of scene!

But I can't leave Kate without proper supervision. I… just… can't!

Slowly, cautiously, as tenderly as I can in a big scaly bodysuit, I pick Kate up in my arms and cradle her head. And I make a dash for the mountain. With all my ever-lovin' strength, speed, and agility, I make a dash for that giant mountain. If ever I needed my Goblin powers, that time is now! And they don't disappoint me. Suddenly, all the fatigue I was feeling is gone. All the difficulty, all the pain, disappears as my feet fly across the valley. I can do this, I know I can. Maybe I'm not Quicksilver, but I can do this! Hold on Kate, we're almost there!

I speed up the mountain path, cutting close on the turns but always retaining my footing. Super-agility, remember? I dart upward, upward, hoping that I'm not too late. I realize that I'm getting nowhere fast, even with my speed. And I'm afraid that Kate won't make it much longer. So, I do what I do best: take a hopeless chance. I dash for the mountain wall, finding grooves in the rock as my feet touch it. And I force myself up, up the side of the mountain.

Man, I know Kate's struggling for her life and everything – and it's my fault – but I can't deny that this is unbelievably cool!

Finally, I make it to the top of the mountain and Kate's still alive. And now I start to think about concealing myself. A bit late, I know, but everything else just took up my mind. Sue me! That's when I notice a big boulder. It looks like my luck is turning around! I jump up to the cliff and scurry to the boulder. Peeking out, I see Humphrey and Winston and Eve and Tony, along with a bunch of other wolves.

"So, I wonder how Kate's doing." Humphrey says, as though he's trying to make small talk.

"I don't like my little girl being out there by herself at night," Eve says. "If that Razor does anything to her, I'll pull his intestines out through his mouth and then force feed them back down his throat!"

Well, she's right to fear, but I can't help imagining, if she'd do that to Razor, what she'd do to me!

"Don't worry, dear," Winston says. "She has Hutch and Can-do there to keep her safe."

Like, not!

Okay, they're all here. Now's my best chance to get Kate the help she needs. For a moment, they all look away. It's all I need. I rush out and gently place Kate upon a smooth rock before ducking back to my hiding place.

"Kate!" They all scream at once when they see her. They come running. Eve and Humphrey both burst into tears.

Tony puts his ear to her chest, makes sure that she's breathing. "It's alright. She's still alive."

"Alright?" Eve says, growling at Tony. "My baby's lying there with her head busted open and you say it's alright? I ought to tear you–"

"Eve, we should see to Kate," Winston says. Tony looks relieved as Eve seems to forget all about him and leans over her daughter.

"Who could possibly do this, Winston?" she says.

I think that's my cue to bang out of here. I mean, I might be able to just barely explain Philip Urich being in places he shouldn't, but there's nobody who can put a good spin on the Green Goblin lurking around a rock just a few feet away from Kate's injured body.

So I make a break for it.

Winston says, "I don't know, Eve, I just don't – what's that?"

They all look just as I make a dive off the cliff.

"That… that thing hurt my baby!" Eve yells. "Tear its heart out and throw it back in its face!"

"Assuming it has a heart," Humphrey points out.

"I don't care what it has! Just tear it out! I want it to suffer for what it did to my Kate!"

Oookayy. Yeah, time for me to skedaddle. Even with my powers back, I don't want to go up against Eve when she's angry.

As I free-fall off the side of the cliff, I notice the wolves are already pursuing me en-mass. Not that they all have seen me, but they're all just running down the mountain anyway. And boy, are they fast. Even with my short cut (or my long splat, as the case may be), I'm gonna have trouble outpacing them. Then I see where the path turns round the mountain. Quickly, I grab a pumpkin bomb and hurl it against the cliff-wall, causing a few small boulders to fall upon the path, blocking the wolves' way down. They won't take too long to remove, but it'll give me the time I need to get back to my den and get out of this get-up before anybody can put two and two together.

Now if I could just solve the problem of falling straight off the top of a mountain to an inevitably painful death on the jagged rocks below!

And the three wings of my cloak flutter around me as I fall, almost like they can defy physics or something. And that gives me an idea. I grab onto two of them and hold them in just the right way to slow my descent. Not by much, but just enough that I'm able to glide to the side of the mountain and get my footing. Now I'm skating down with only my purple pointy-boots to hold out all the pain that going down a mountain at who-knows-how-many-miles-per-hour would cause to my feet. Admittedly, this move with look a lot cooler if I could still bring out my Goblin blades but, if I could still use my blades, I wouldn't have needed to do this in the first place! They're a flying mechanism, for when I can't use my glider, y'understand. And I can only use them when my mask is working, y'also understand. But still, this is, like, a nine-point-five on my personal thrill-o-meter!

Wait a second. Even with everything that's happened tonight, am I actually having fun?

At last, I see the top of my den coming into view. At first I'm not sure, as they all seem to look alike from the top, but as I get closer, I can make out the details of the cliff outside of it. I know I've made it. I'm safe at last, literally home-free! Now all I need to do is hop in the cave and throw all this stuff back in my duffle bag. It's practically already do–

"Phil, are you in there?"

Lilly! _Lilly!_

Sure enough, that little white beauty's walking toward my den. Luckily, she's not looking up or else she'd get the fright of her life. And I'm not about to give her that. For both our sakes, I'm not about to give her that. I thrust my claws into the rock face and with all my strength I hold back the momentum and force myself to stop. I come to a complete halt just above my den. Perfect, just perfect. I must be the world's biggest dork.

Lilly looks around, sniffs, and listens. When she doesn't get a response (What am I supposed to say? "Hi, Lilly, I've come done with a real bad case of gangrene… and I nearly killed your sister." As if!), she sits down with her back toward the den.

"I just came to see if you wanted to talk," she says. "If you don't want to, that's okay. I just thought that maybe you did."

Don't turn around…. Don't turn around….

"It's just… it's just… I really need somebody to talk to. My parents, Garth, Kate, I don't think they'd understand!" She starts to sob. And I really wish that I could go and put my arm around her. It breaks my heart to see her like this. But, seeing as how I look like I escaped from the North Pole's mental asylum, there's not much I can say or do that would be very comforting to her right now.

More footsteps. Have they caught up to me already? No, just two pairs. Or a single wolf-pair. Wolf-foursome? I don't know, but it's just one wolf.

"Yeah, I thought that you would run straight to him," Garth says as he appears around the corner. Uh-oh, trouble in paradise.

"Garth, why do you have to be like this?" Lilly says, not even looking at him.

"Why did you have to run out on me when we were howling?"

"I just wanted to be able to spend time with you for one night," Lilly says, "but you just can't stop it!"

"What? I can't stop being an Alpha? No, I can't, Lilly. It's my duty to the pack!"

"Just for one night! Why not just for one night? All the time you're with me, you look like you'd rather be out there hunting down Razor with Kate!"

Garth walks up to Lilly and sits beside her. "Lilly, look at me. Look at me, Lilly."

Lilly finally does. Her eyes are full of tears (or my lenses could just be getting an annoying yellow reflection from the moon – either way works, I guess) and the sight clearly upsets him.

He says, "There is no place I'd rather be than next to you. You know that. But I can't help worrying about what's out there, the things – the wolves – that can harm you."

"I know, Garth, but they're not here. But I'm here and you're here and just for one night, you know nothing's going to happen to me as long as you're here. I mean, that's why dad moved the Moonlight Howling here from the central mountain! So why can't we just forget about it for one night?"

I really shouldn't be watching this heart-to-heart, but somehow I just can't turn away – mostly because the slightest movement would probably send the whole rock-face falling to the ground.

Garth shakes his head. "I'm trying, Lilly, I really am. But it seems like you're always getting mad at me for something. And you never get mad at me. I can't help thinking that Phil has something to do with it. What's he filling your mind with?"

If Lilly wasn't here right now, buddy, I'd _fill_ your mind… with the most horrific sight this side of Oscorp!

"He's not filling my mind with anything," Lilly says. "He's just… he's just like me. He understands me when nobody else does."

"How can you say I don't understand you? Me, of all people?"

Lilly shakes her head and closes her eyes. "That's not what I mean, Garth. You understand who I am, but you're from a different background. Alphas and Omegas used to be two different worlds. But Phil's life has been like mine. He knows where I'm coming from. He knows why I feel lonely when you're off hunting caribou or looking for threats to the pack. He knows what that's like."

"And he's a human."

Like, not right now…

"He's a human, Lilly. Don't you understand that? He's a fur-less, two-legged, city-dwelling, _man_."

And concurrently a chittering green creature from European folklore. Go figure!

Lilly shakes her head. "But he's not like the other humans. He's shy and clumsy and nervous and totally lacking in confidence."

And this is making me feel really good about myself right now. To add to the love-fest, I think the rock-face is finally starting to give out.

"Just like me! But he's also kind and caring and funny and even sort of brave."

Who, me? Couldn't be!

And now the rock-face situation has reached crisis stage. It feels like it's about to give out on me any second now. Totally not good! If only I could think up some way to distract Lilly and Garth while I get back into the cave.

I reach into my bag of tricks, thinking maybe I could send a pumpkin bomb or gas-ghost into a nearby ridge. It would make a scene, but right now I don't exactly have options. But instead I end up pulling out this crescent-moon thing. While it is no doubt appropriate for the occasion, given the full moon above, I have absolutely no idea what it does.

I really should have spent more time getting to know what all this stuff does! But, like, who has the hours these days?

But, these rocks beneath me are not giving me much of a chance to contemplate the meaning of the crescent. Besides, Garth seems to be getting real antsy.

"Well, if he's so kind and brave, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I had a little chat with him about what you two get up to," he says, heading toward the cave.

Showtime! It's now or never!

As Lilly protests, "I'm not a puppy, Garth," I toss the crescent moon at the ridge where it proceeds to do… absolutely nothing. Great, real brilliant engineering there, Norman or Harry or whoever came up with that. But then it ricochets down the side of the cliff and lands a few feet from Garth and Lilly. To my surprise, this causes it to disintegrate into a strange white mist. Not like the gas of my ghosts or gas-pumpkins, but just kind of a haze. I'm not exactly sure what purpose it serves, but it distracts Lilly and Garth.

"Strange," Garth says. "There hasn't been any mist all night."

"I wonder where it's coming from?" Lilly says.

Too bad (Not!) that she won't get the chance to find out, because I take the opportunity to swing myself down and propel myself into the cave, landing with a thud against the back wall. And while I'd like to sulk in self-pity for landing upside down against a bunch of jagged rocks, there is just no time. I throw my Goblin mask away from my face and try to slip out of my tangled cloak as I get up.

Lilly and Garth have now lost interest in the mist and are coming toward the cave.

"Sounds like he's up," Lilly says. "Phil, are you decent?"

Not yet…

I kick off my boots and tear off my gloves. Just as they're about to enter, I swoop down into my duffle-bag, pulling out an old bathrobe which I throw around my suit. Okay, now I'm decent. Or at least as decent as I can be, under the circumstances. I walk to the cave entrance, just as Lilly and Garth step in. I pray they don't notice the Goblin gear strung around the floor near the back wall.

"What is it, guys?" I say, with my best attempt at a yawn. "I was trying to get some shut-eye when I heard all this noise."

"Well, I was just wondering why you and Lilly–" Garth begins, his tone angry. Not good!

But Lilly cuts him off. "Garth, please."

"No, Lilly, it has to be said. Phil, what is it with you and my mate?"

"Whoa, bud, chill out! What do you mean?" I say. I've already got a feeling for what he means, but I can't let _him_ know that.

"Don't try to hide it, Phil. Come on, what sort of human nonsense are you putting into her head?"

"Just the usual kind we humans do. You know, actually paying attention to her and that sort of thing."

Garth growls. Lilly seems almost frightened. She hides behind my legs. Which is really where I don't need her to be. All it would take is a heavy gust of wind and then my cover's blown!

Garth continues, "I mean, of all the wolves here, why her? And then you always have to go out of your way to 'protect' her." I can practically feel the air-quotes. "Do you have some sort of hero-complex or something?"

I chuckle, making sure not to let it evolve into you-know-what. "Come on, Garth! Me, a hero-complex? Be serious. I don't even have to guts to stand in the same general area as Eve!"

Lilly laughs a little. I lean my face closer toward Garth's.

"Though I admit, the idea that people like you actually get to go out and be courageous and help people does sometimes make me… green… with envy."

Garth snarls. "I'm telling you, Phil, stay away from Lilly."

"I think the lady can make her own decisions about who she wants to be friends with," I say.

"You just think you can get away with – where's Ace?" Garth looks all around. "Where is your guard? This is a direct violation of–"

"I'm right here," Ace says as he comes sauntering down the path, still wearing his lens-less sunglasses. "I just stepped away for a second to get some water. I figured since Phil here was sound asleep that it wouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Are you sure, Ace?" Garth says. "Because I'm sure I saw you at the Moonlight Howling."

"Oh, Garth, you're too suspicious," Lilly says. "Besides, you were too busy looking down into the valley all night to notice anybody else."

But then I see Humphrey coming into view. Well, I should have figured that if Ace got out, then that must mean that the path was cleared by now. And I really want to make myself look small.

"Lilly, Garth, I've been looking all over for you guys!" Humphrey says, out of breath. "It's… it's… it's Kate! She's been hurt really bad!"

"What? Kate?" Lilly and Garth say together.

"What happened?" Garth says, immediately acting like he's going to take command of the situation. "Was it Razor?"

"I… I really don't know," Humphrey says. "All we saw was this giant green blur dropping her off at the Howling. Then it disappeared along the side of the mountain. I can't even begin to guess what it was."

Lilly's eyes are filled with concern and worry as she walks toward Humphrey. Well, it is her sister. "Kate…Is she… is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know, Lilly. I really don't know. It doesn't look good right now."

Lilly, I am so sorry! That's all I want to tell you right now. But I know I can't because… how you'd hate me… for what I've done to Kate! But I am so sorry!

"Come on, Lilly," we have to get up there," Garth says. They all start to follow. But then Garth turns toward me. "You, Phil, you just stay here! This is wolf business! Ace, stick around and guard him! Don't let him out of your sight again!"

Then he and Humphrey continue to run. Lilly looks back toward me, as though asking what she should do.

"Go," I say. She nods and runs up the path. In all the excitement, nobody noticed that I was too scared to actually go anyway.

"That's a real shame about Kate," Ace says as I pass him and go into my den.

"Yeah," I say. "Like, did you see what happened?"

"No, but I heard Sweets and Candy talking like it was some sort of monster or something! Everybody just think's they're trying to get some of the attention. They do stuff like that."

"So, you think Kate'll be okay?"

Ace smiles. "Relax, my boy! If anybody can pull through, it's the toughest Alpha of them all!"

But I'm just wondering if the toughest Alpha of them all can withstand the Most Maniacal Super Hero of All. I don't dare tell him that, though.

"Cheer up, man, it's not like it's your fault," Ace says. If he only knew. If only he knew…

I try to smile. "I'm just really worried about her, is all. I know we haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot, but she is one of the wolves I've seen the most of this past week."

"Hey, I get you," Ace says, "but at least you were able to catch up on your rest. Though, from the looks of you, you could have been up all night!"

My heart jumps. "Oh, yeah. It's just a bit hard sleeping on the rough ground… for a human, I mean. Besides, I've been having nightmares recently. I think it's all this with Razor and Turk and… whatever."

"I hear that," Ace says.

I leave him to his duties and enter the cave. When I'm sure he's not paying the slightest attention, I throw off my robe and change out of the rest of my outfit, replacing it with my regular clothes. Then I try to gather it all up so no one sees. And I pick up my Goblin mask. I stare into the new yellow eyes and the big, toothy grin. It gets me thinking.

Maybe it was for the best that the Green Goblin hung up his pointy boots in the first place. I mean, my one-time only return was hardly a stellar success. Though my powers seemed to come back in just when I needed them, they're now gone again and I have no idea why. I went out with the sole purpose of drumming Razor for bothering the pack, and while that was accomplished, sort-off, I ended up putting even more of a fright into Sweets and Candy than into the bad guy! The green dude was right; it was not exactly my most heroic moment. And then, Kate. I nearly killed Kate tonight. I could've killed Kate if there had been a bigger rock or a sharper log or something much deadlier there than there was. Who knows, she might still die because of me. I mean, for someone who was so afraid of losing his own life, caution was never one of my strong suits. But my reckless behavior never came back to haunt me as strongly as it did tonight. Even if Kate recovers, I can't help but feel that I've got her blood on my hands.

Just thinking about her gives me pause. I mean, she never questioned whether she should pursue me or not. She never thought about her own fear – if she had any fear – when it came to hunting down Razor or pursuing the giant green ghoul swinging away through the trees. Everything she did was for the good of the pack. Now, that's responsibility. And that's something I can never live up to. So I throw my mask down to the ground. I resolve that, for my own good as well as the good of all those around me, I should just give up on being a super hero. Tonight, the Green Goblin has laughed his last.

I hear the woodsman's voice whispering in my head, "No, he hasn't…."

* * *

**There you have it, true believers! The Green Goblin has returned, but at what cost? Is this really the end of the line for Kate? Perhaps more importantly, is this really the end of the line for our favorite maniac? Jasper Park has met its newest - and strangest - protector, but the consequences are going to be bigger and more bizarre than even the Green Goblin could have imagined. You won't want to miss a single twist or turn of the unfolding adventure as the Green Goblin becomes "Public Enemy No. 1"!**


	10. Public Enemy No 1

**The Jasper Park has met their newest neighbor - the Green Goblin! But will they conclude that he is an ally or decide that he's an antagonist? And what will happen to Kate? Will she survive her serious head trauma? And how will Garth and Lilly react to the fact that there is a mysterious new force in the valley? Anyway you look at it, things will never be the same after the Jasper pack figures out about "The Green Goblin - Public Enemy No. 1"! **

* * *

Garth and Lilly made a beeline for the top of the mountain. Garth, with all of his speed, constantly outpaced Lilly and barely seemed to notice. However, he would eventually grow wise and, realizing that she was not beside him, hold back for her to catch up. No words were spoken between them as she would meet him; both knew the urgency of the situation.

As they neared the top, they noticed that a large chunk of the cliff-wall was gone, the remnants strewing the path before them. Garth bolted over it with ease. He even paused and struck a commanding pose after he had done so, more out of habit than any real pride. Lilly, for her part, tried to run through the rock field only to find that the jagged edges and large stones were too much for her feet. On one or more of them – it was hard to tell just how many – she lost her balance and fell onto the pile.

"Lilly, are you okay?" Garth said, running over and helping her up.

"I'm fine except for – ow!" Lilly said as she tried to walk. One of her legs was hurt.

Garth quickly took a look at it. "It's probably just a sprain. It probably twisted in the fall. It should be alright in a few days."

Lilly nodded and Garth helped her get the rest of the way up the mountain. When they arrived, they found that all the other wolves were already gathered around Kate. They walked up and exchanged looks of great relief once they saw that Kate had regained consciousness. She was blinking and staring up at the moon, trying to piece together what had happened to her.

"Do you remember anything, sweetie?" Eve said as she worked on her daughter's wound. "Anything at all that would help us find this monster and claw its eyes out?"

"I just remember… flashes of green and purple and… laughter," Kate said, focusing her eyes upward as though she could still see the form of the being that she had been chasing.

"Laughter?" a number of wolves, including Garth, Eve, and Humphrey, said together.

"The most horrible laughter I had ever heard," Kate said. "It seemed like I didn't just hear it, it actually entered my body and ripped my soul apart. And then everything went black."

"And Razor, what happened to him?" Winston said.

"He was already unconscious when I got there," Kate said. "I think… the thing got to him before I did."  
"Which may have been the only good service it rendered to us," Eve said. "Maybe I'll return the favor and let it die quickly."

She then looked over at her other daughter. "But Lilly," she said, "your leg!"

"It's okay, mom," Lilly said, "I just sprained it running up here. I tripped on all those rocks that are covering the path. It's nothing."  
Eve howled with rage. "First, this monster nearly kills my Kate and now it hurts my Lilly too! Forget what I said about allowing it to die quickly! It will suffer, it will suffer indeed!"

"Hurts me? But it didn't–" Lilly began.

"Lilly, dear," Winston said, coming up close to her and whispering, "that thing, after it left Kate here, jumped from the mountain. We tried to chase it but it did something… I don't know what but something… that blew up that part of the cliff. We only now just able to get the largest boulders out of the path."

"Oh," Lilly said quietly.

"And it was… it was incredible," Kate said. "I chased the thing through the trees, but it always managed to keep one step ahead of me. It was like it somehow knew all those moves I learned in Alpha school. I can't, I can't remember anything else about it. It was just, those moves were uncanny…"

"That's good enough. Rest now, dear, keep up your strength," Eve said. She had managed to stop the bleeding from Kate's head and was busy trying to clean the dried blood out of her daughter's mane.

Sweets and Candy ran up to the assembled group. "We can tell you more," Sweets said.

"Yeah, we saw it," Candy added. "It was big and nasty and green, right, Sweets?"

"Oh and it smelled hideous, too!" Sweets held her nostrils up as though she could still smell it. "It smelled as bad as it looked!"

"Okay, girls," Winston said, "what did this thing actually look like?"

"Well," Sweets said, "it was hideous. Talk about ugly!"

"But we need a better description than that if we are to find it."

Sweets and Candy shrugged. "We were too busy running for our lives to paint a picture!" Candy protested.

"I bet they didn't even see it!" a wolf from the eastern pack said.

"We did too!" they both said together. Sweets said, "It blew up part of the cliff and laughed at us!"

"Yeah, yeah, it did!" Candy added.

"See," the eastern wolf said, "they didn't see it. They're just repeating stuff Kate and everybody else already said."

"So, what does this all mean?" Tony asked Winston.

"I don't know," Winston said, turning to address the whole united pack, "but it does mean that Hotshot and his boys are no longer the only danger we face. Someone or something else has infiltrated the valley and by the looks of it, it is hostile to us."

"Um, dad…" Lilly said, stepping forward, "maybe it isn't hostile to us."

"Lilly, don't talk about things you don't understand," Garth said in a whisper.

This just caused Lilly to become slightly more forceful in her protestations. "If it were hostile, wouldn't it have killed Kate in the valley and not brought her here where she could be taken care of? And it didn't actually try to injure any of us."

"It tried to injure us!" Sweets and Candy screamed.

"You didn't even see it!" the eastern wolf barked.

"Yes, we did!"

"No, you didn't!"

"Just shut up, all three of you!" Tony yelled. And when he was angry, the wolves knew to listen.

Lilly continued, paying no notice to Sweets and Candy. "So, if it didn't harm any of us–"

"What about Hutch and Can-do?" Humphrey said. "Who knows what happened to them!"

"We're right here!" Hutch said, running up the path with Can-do by his side. "We got separated from Kate in the darkness and we've been looking for her all this time."

Can-do added. "We decided to come get help and Ace told us the whole story on the way up."

Lilly started speaking again, "So, if none of us were harmed, how do we know that whatever it was is really against us? It might have just been defending itself because Kate was attacking it."

"And Razor, how do you explain the little fact that the thing beat him unconscious?" Humphrey said.

"We don't know why it did. Maybe Razor attacked it too."

Nobody seemed particularly convinced by Lilly's analysis, but Winston seemed to give it due consideration. Finally he said, "My daughter's point is well-taken. We don't know what this thing is or what its reasons for doing what it is doing are. But still, we know that it has the potential to harm us, if we're not careful. That's why I'm ordering all Alphas to be on their guard and to make sure that the whole of the valley is under patrol at all times. If any of you catch sight of this thing, do not advance or try to provoke it, but defend yourselves if necessary. That is all."

"I still want to see it suffer!" Eve said. "And if I get my paws on it, it will!"

Winston fumbled to think up a response. "Yes, well, you're a special case, dear. Come on, let's get Kate back to our den."

Kate tried to pick herself up. "It's alright, dad, mom, I'll be fine. I feel better already and tomorrow I can lead the caribou hunt." But she fell back onto the slab, her head throbbing in pain.

"You'll do no such thing, young lady," Eve said. "Not until you've recovered. Garth, you'll have to take on Kate's duties in addition to your own. You're the head Alpha now."

Garth nodded, his face firm and composed. Then he spotted Lilly, glaring at him. He tried to plead with her silently, with his eyes, but to no avail. She let her fur fall into her left eye and slowly walked away.

* * *

**Kate is safe but still injured, Garth and Lilly are on the outs again, and the whole Jasper pack is in high-alert! Alarming things are happening in the pack, but the big question is, what does this all mean for our loveable lunatic? Especially now that Eve has both of his personalities on her death-list? And what about Hotshot's goons? You'll find out next issue, because the action is going to really ramp up when Philip Urich has to once again resort to "The Laughter of a Lunatic"! **


	11. The Laughter of a Lunatic

**Our favorite gang of wolves have just encountered what looks to be a new enemy in the Green Goblin. Yet, little do they know, the Green Goblin is actually the well-meaning alter-ego of their new human buddy, Philip Urich. Or at least, he was, but now Phil has vowed to give up the Goblin identity once and for all! The only bright spot for him is his new friendship with Lilly, but even that provides no relief; Phil's found himself in the middle of a bitter lover's quarrel between her and Garth! Needless to say, it has not been a good past couple of days for either Lilly or Philip. But, that is nothing compared to what they both will have to go up against in this action-packed issues, as the forests of Jasper once again resoundly echo with "The Laughter of a Lunatic"! **

* * *

I'm soaring on my glider through the abandoned warehouse, looking for the architect of this whole adventure. Lynn Walsh's life is in danger, and only I can save her from the clutches of my greatest enemy. Funny to think that in the, what, year I've been doing this, I already have a "greatest enemy." Particularly when I tried to stay clear of all the psychopaths that dog real heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil. But thems the breaks…

As I come through a long tunnel, I get the feeling that my opposite number is waiting for me there. So, in one of my all too rare moments of brilliance, I send the glider in solo, hopping off and running behind it. Sure enough, an electric blast hits the glider, but doesn't damage it. More importantly, my life has been saved, the blast deflected from me. And now I know where she is. I jump with all my might and (Hahahahahaha!) come flying toward her. She just looks at me, her one visible eye burning with hatred. And I can feel the other one positively searing into me, even though it's behind her mane of unruly hair. Hate me all you want, because now you are mine! Hahahahahahaha!

And then, the scene starts to fade. All I can make out is her face, that one large eye and the long tuft of hair covering the other. As everything else is dissolved in light, that is what remains of my vision.

"Angel Face?" I say.

And then, as my vision starts to return, the face is no longer that of my arch-enemy. No, now it's turning white, and that one visible eye is growing a lavender shade of purple. It's becoming… _Lilly?_

The features of the cave, lit by the morning sun, slowly form around Lilly's head. My eyes scream in pain as they adjust to the light. Man, I will never get used to this! Well, another night, another nightmare. This one was probably brought about by my ill-advised outing as the Green Goblin last night. But now I look at Lilly. She's wearing her fur over her left eye again.

She giggles. "Nobody's ever called me 'angel face' before," she says.

Well, I wasn't actually calling her 'angel face,' but I decide that it's a point best not pointed out. Though, comparing her to my archenemy is hardly the most welcome thought I've had recently. And that is saying something.

Wait a second. What is she doing in my den, sitting over me as I sleep? I sit up and look her in the eye. That's when I see that she's been crying. Oh, no! My heart starts pounding as I realize what it must be. She can only be here to tell me that Kate didn't make it!

"Lilly, what's wrong?" I say. "Is Kate–"

Lilly does her best to smile. My heart pounds, like, a thousand times a second as I wait for her to speak. But, I already know what she's going to say. And I dread to hear it.

"Kate's fine," she says. "Mom's just making her take it easy for a few days."

Phew! I can't believe that Kate's fine! I didn't kill her! I am not a murderer! I am just so relieved, but I can't let Lilly see it or else she'll know that my concern is more than just because I'm a decent human being.

"Oh," I say. "Maybe I should go visit her, see how she's doing. Maybe bring flowers or a gift-basket." I scratch my chin. "What do you even put in a gift basket to give to a wolf?"

Lilly chuckles despite her sadness. "You always know how to make me laugh, Phil."

What? I was being serious! Well, as serious as I ever am.

"Then, what's the problem?" I say. "Come on, you can trust me."

Lilly turns away, but then looks me in the eye. "It's Garth. Now he's got to perform both his own duties and Kate's. Now I'm going to see him even less than I did before."

I pat her on the back. "I should have figured. But, it's okay, Lilly. It'll be okay."

"And it's all because that thing injured Kate last night and now the whole pack is afraid!"

I don't like the sound of that, for obvious reasons. "Now, this thing, what was it?" I say, trying to seem only casually interested.

"Nobody knows. Nobody got a good look at it. Sweets and Candy are trying to pretend that they actually got attacked by it, but nobody believes them."

"Hm," I say, "maybe it was just passing through. Just migrating, or something. I bet it's gone by now."

Lilly sighs. "Yeah, maybe." She begins to pace. And that's when I notice that she's limping.

"Lilly, what happened?" I say, pointing to her leg with alarm.

She takes a moment to realize what I'm asking and then looks down at her leg. "Oh, the thing blew out part of the cliff somehow. When I was running up, I tripped and sprained my leg. Garth thinks it should be better in a few days."

My heart sinks as I hear it. All that reliefI was feeling, it's all gone. "Lilly, I'm so sorry about you and Kate. I feel so bad."

Lilly looks surprised. "Why? It's not like it's your fault." Yes, it is – but Ican't actually tell you that.

"Well, um, I just don't like to see either of you hurt. I just wish I could have done something to make sure this whatever didn't injure anybody."

Lilly smiles. "I know, Phil, I know."

I squirm under her smile. I can't help it! What would she think if she only knew that I'm the Green Goblin, the one responsible for almost killing Kate, the one who caused her own leg to get twisted, the one who… hey, how long has Lilly been here?

"Lilly," I say, "just when did you arrive in my… humble abode?"

"Last night," she says quietly. "I was so mad at Garth that I couldn't go back to our den. So I came here. You were already asleep, so I didn't want to wake you. Instead, I just spent the whole night thinking about me and Garth. And crying occasionally."

She was here the _whole night?_ Kinda creepy. Not as creepy as dressing up as a goblin and stalking the valley floor under the light of the full moon but…

"You know, you could have, like, woken me," I say, though I'm secretly glad she didn't. I don't know how I would have been able to handle this on top of everything else. But today, I'm a new man. The Green Goblin is history, and Philip Urich is now ready to permanently make his way in the world. Today, I begin to stand on my own two feet!

Funny, I think I've heard this speech before. And why doesn't it make me feel any better?

I get up and walk toward the cave entrance. Lilly follows, but has a little trouble with her paw.

"If you're up to it, that is," I say.

She nods. "Uh-huh."

I wait for her and then we walk out together. We go slow in the sunlight, down into the valley, so that she doesn't put too much pressure on her leg. Everything seems to be going fine, my latest debacle as the Green Goblin feels like it was a thousand years ago, and I actually begin to smile as I feel that, somehow, this is becoming a second home to me.

And then I see Garth running toward us.

"Lilly, I was so worried when you didn't come back to the den," Garth said. "Is everything alright?"

"Hm," Lilly says. Which isn't really an answer, but whatever.

"Like I said, with that thing flying around, I was worried," Garth said. "At least Ace was able to tell me where you'd gone, but I really didn't expect you to stay with _him_ all night."

Garth turns his big emerald eyes toward me when he accentuates that "him." Well, well, jealousy is a green-eyed monster after all.

As opposed to me. I'm a green-skinned monster. But you already knew that. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

"We have nothing to say, Garth," Lilly says quietly. She turns away from him and toward me. And I do not like where this is going right now.

"But I'm sure you have plenty to say to Phil!" he says. Yep, I knew I was going to get dragged back into this somehow.

"At least he listens!" Lilly responds, turning her head so fast that the fur flies out of her eyes.

I just stand there like a dork. I don't want to get involved in any part of this.

"But, Lilly, I do listen to you!"

"You just never have any time for me!"

"Do we really have to have this old argument again!" I certainly hope not!

"Can't you just find a little time? Any at all for your future mate? No?"

"Please, Lilly. Don't act like this. It's tearing me apart to have us fighting! I mean, I tried to howl last night and – listen!"

Then Garth belts out what must be the most painfully ear-splitting howl I ever heard. It so disconcertingly terrible that a small blue bird falls from the sky and lands dazed at his feet. And I thought my Lunatic Laugh was bad! This might actually give my giggles a run for their money!

I know, I know, there goes that whole "one thing only I can do" idea.

"See, it doesn't work without you," Garth says. "Please, Lilly, can we just forget about all this?"

Lilly turns her nose up. "No, Garth, we can't. And if you think you can just get me to forgive you without actually earning it, then you're very badly mistaken! Come on, Phil, let's get some air. This valley is getting too crowded as it is."

She walks purposefully away, not even showing any signs of a sprain. I think it's still there, but she's hiding it extremely well. Lilly's actually one tough little sister under all that shyness and innocence!

Garth gives me a very suspicious look, as though I'm somehow to blame for all this. I just smile and shrug and run off.

Lilly starts limping again as soon as we're out of Garth's view. We walk in silence for a considerable distance.

Finally, I get the courage to say, "Do you think that maybe you're being a little too hard on Garth? He does kinda have a valid point." Hey, I may resent the way Garth acts like I've got some sort of contagious disease, but that doesn't mean I want him and Lilly to split up. I ain't no home-wrecker!

"Yeah, maybe," Lilly says. "I just get so frustrated…"

"Hey, it's alright," I say. "I once had a crush on this girl who wouldn't give me the time of day until she thought I had something she wanted."

"What was that?"

Oopsy. Well, I can't say the truth; it was my uncle's files on the new Green Goblin (me). Lynn Walsh was going to try to bust the Goblin (me, though she didn't know it) in order to make a name for herself as a journalist.

"Oh, she just wanted me to steal some stuff from a story my uncle was working on," I say. Good save. See, even I have my moments.

"Oh, okay. So what happened?"

"I realized I was better off without her and started dating Merry instead." I think about this for a moment. "Okay, bad example. But, where that girl just wanted to use me, Garth really loves you. Everything he's doing, he's doing to protect you. That's the sacrifice you have to make when you have responsibilities. You put your personal life on hold." Hey, I may never had been a real hero – I mean, one who actually had a personal life to put on hold – but even I've read enough comic books to know how this tends to play out.

"Then who would ever want responsibilities?" Lilly asks.

Me, I don't have a brilliant answer for this one. I fell into being the Green Goblin and once I found that responsibilities were attached, it was already a done deal. Not like I ever had a chance to decide that I wanted responsibility. I didn't want responsibility. But it was what I unwittingly chose.

After a few more moments of silence, Lilly says, "I'm glad we don't have any responsibilities like that. It's great to be an Omega, isn't it, Phil?"  
I smile weakly. If only it were that simple. If only I knew what I am anymore. Omega, Goblin, what? That's a problem I'm not even sure a real super-jock like Spider-Man could solve!

Then, suddenly, I see a familiar sight, just one I never expected to see. My camper! It's still there, right in the middle of the woods. Man, I didn't think we walked this far! But here we are, back at the camper again! Apparently, Jenny hasn't been back for it. I wonder whatever happened to Jenny. I find myself starting to feel worried about her (for the first time in, like, a week) but how would I ever know what happened? Besides, I'm sure she's fine. She's so good at all this outdoorsy stuff that I'm sure she's perfectly fine and out of any possible danger. Right?

Right?

"Hey, Phil, there you are!"

Jenny! I turn and see Jenny coming at me from the woods. I was completely not expecting this. Hey, I'm still having trouble grasping the fact that me and Lilly walked so far out of the valley without noticing it. Oh well, you live and learn and whatever…

And then I remember, Lilly! She's still standing right beside me! Somehow, I don't think Jenny'll take too kindly to the fact that I can now talk to wolves. She may love animals but… that's kinda taking it too far.

All it takes is a look from me and Lilly gets the message. She begins to sulk away as I walk forward to meet Jenny.

"Jenny, Jenny, hey!" I say. Really smooth, I know. Dork!

"Oh, Phil, I was so worried about you!" she says as she puts her arms around me. "We were walking through the woods and then all of a sudden I turned around and you were gone! I went all around Jasper but I couldn't find you!"

"Well, I got separated from you, and then I couldn't find you and I've kinda been lost in the park ever since!" Hey, Jasper Park is a big place! No more explanation needed.

"You've been all alone in the park for a whole week?" Jenny says, obviously shocked.

"Well, not really… yeah, completely alone!" I nod as I say this, trying to throw her off my near-slip up. But then she looks behind me, and now there's terror on her face.

"A… a wolf!" she says. I look behind me to see Lilly, just standing there, sulking, her hair having fallen back over her eye.

"Yeah, a wolf," I say, trying to act casual and failing like only I can. "Fancy that!"

"Get back, Phil," Jenny says as she bends down. "Those things are dangerous!"

And then I see that she's picking up a very large rock. It's really a very large rock. I mean, as big as my head or thereabouts. So much for being an animal lover!

Jenny pulls me back and chucks the rock straight at Lilly. Lilly's too shocked to do anything; she just stands there. (Maybe I have been a bad influence on her, after all!) Without thinking, I push past Jenny and try my best to put myself between that rock and Lilly. And somehow, I succeed. Oh man, now what do I do? There's no way to stop this thing from hitting me smack in the stomach! Either that, or it's going to zoom past me (I was never that good at judging where a flying object is going to land – sue me!) and still hit Lilly! With no real plan in my head, I just go with my instincts. Reaching out I manage to grab onto the rock and stop it cold, holding the massive thing with just one hand.

And I've never been more thankful that I have Super-Goblin Strength! I'm just glad that it decided to kick in right at this very moment!

"Hey now," I say, "No… no need to do anything hasty. I mean, we wouldn't want to interfere with the natural habitat, now would we?"  
I look back toward Lilly. "Hurry, hide," I whisper. And she doesn't need to be told twice, disappearing somewhere in the forest.

"See," I say as I turn to Jenny, "it's running off by itself. No need to worry, he he!"

"Good riddance," she says, despite wincing a little. "But, I've found a town not too far off. I've been there the past week, trying to see if there would be any sign of you. But when you never showed up, I decided to go looking for you. I figured that if you were lost, you might try to stay by the camper."

"Well… well… you sure do know me well!" Yeah, right!

"Unfortunately, it looks like somebody's come by and totaled the camper," Jenny says as she walks over toward it.

I follow her and I see immediately that she's right. The doors are on the ground, everything of value's practically been torn out of the insides, and it looks like someone even tried to tear out the engine while they were at it! Even the tires seem to have been stolen.

"Were you around when they did this, Phil?" Jenny says.

"Uh no," I say. "I was at my… my base camp… down some ways away. I guess they must have done it then!"

Jenny shrugs and looks around for anything salvageable. She pulls out a large box of tools. Bingo! That was just what I wanted to find here, why I had asked Kate to take me here. I figured, if I could get my hands on those tools, maybe I could get my Goblin mask to work again. But, it's kinda a moot point now that I've dedicated myself to never being the Green Goblin again…

"So, do you want to head into town?" Jenny says.

"Um, no, I'd have to get my stuff at my… my base camp first!" I say.

"Okay, then I can come and help you. I'd love to see how you've been roughing it in the wild!"

"No! No! Really, no! I can get it myself! Why don't you go back into town… and get everything ready for me when I arrive!"

Jenny looks at me suspiciously for a long time, like she think's something's up. (And she'd be right!) But finally she just nods her head. She walks over and picks up the tool kit.

"At least I can try to save this," she says.

I take hold of it. "Hey, that might actually be useful to me. Why don't you let me keep it? I'll bring it into town later, I guess."

Jenny shrugs and lets go. "Are you sure, Phil? You sure you'll be alright by yourself?"

I quickly nod my head. "Of course I'll be fine! Don't worry about good ol' Philip Urich!"

Finally, after what seems like an hour, Jenny gets the hint and leaves. I let out a sigh of relief. Then I go looking for Lilly.

I actually feel pretty good about myself as I go. I know I'm ditching Jenny (Yeah, I have no intention of going into town just yet. Big shock.), but the more I think about her, the less I like her. I mean, the way she was just going to broadside Lilly with that rock! Sure, she doesn't know Lilly like I do, and just sees a dangerous carnivorous predator, but still! What "nature-lover" who's supposed to be so good at surviving in the wilderness without disrupting it would actually throw a rock at a threatened species? Besides, Jenny was always too high-maintenance for me. Meredith was a much better choice. Hm, maybe Lilly's right. I should try to make things up to her. If only I could get reception out here…

As I ponder this (Is ponder the right word?), I call out Lilly's name, fully expecting her to answer.

"Lilly? Lilly?" I say, not getting any answer. "_Lilly?_"

Then I hear a noise which makes my heart skip a few beats. Lilly's voice, definitely. It's not so much a scream as though she's just hit a wall really fast. (I should know – piloting that glider ain't a cakewalk, believe you me) And there's a sound, like the crunching of wood – or the breaking of bone. And I hear her groaning. She's close by, I know that, and it shouldn't be hard for me to pinpoint the location.

Hold on Lilly, I'm coming…

Just as I thought, she's not too far from me. When I get there, I see that she's laid out on the ground. Tree bark has fallen all over her and there's a big Lilly-sized gash in the tree above. It doesn't take Mr. Fantastic to figure out what just happened here. Then, I notice that Lilly's looking at me. Her coif of fur is lying next to her head, leaving both eyes uncovered. Her lavender eyes are half-open, staring into mine. But I can tell she's not all there. There's a certain glazed-over look in those eyes. And I don't like it.

"Phil…" she chokes out. "Philip… run away… just go… you can't save me…" And then her eyes close. She's still alive, and other than possibly a broken back from that nasty tumble, I can't see anything wrong with her. So, I don't really know what she's talking about. Maybe it's just a hallucination, like injured people (and me!) get from time to time.

And then it occurs to me; she might be talking about whatever hit her. I don't know why I didn't think about it before. I mean, it's not like she threw herself backwards into a tree. I look up slowly to see Turk, that great lumbering Moby-Dick of a wolf stalking toward us. Not good!

"You better take your girlfriend's advice and clear off," he says to me with this mocking smile. "Me and her – we got some personal business to attend to."

Oh, really? Attend to this, bucko!

I rush toward him, ready to knock his block off. I know it seems pretty brave, but I'm not even all that concerned about the big lug. As I see it, he won't be any trouble for me. I mean, Super-Goblin Strength, right?

Wrong. I try to punch him but, to my unending horror, it doesn't even faze him. He laughs cruelly and then flips me over his back so that I land a few feet away. I groan as I impact the ground.

Turk cackles some more at my pain. "I'll deal with you after I get done with – Lilly, was it?"

Great, so my powers are on the fritz again. I love not having my Goblin mask! It's like playing Russian roulette – except that even when I have my powers, somehow I still lose!

But, there's one power that I always have with me. Lilly was wrong when she said that I couldn't save her. I scurry to my feet and, as Turk takes his time stalking his prey, I try to climb the nearest tree, hoping that even without my powers I can still make it up there before he reaches Lilly.

You think I'm being a coward, don't you? I figured you would. Old Phil Urich out to save his own skin again, you say. Nothing ever changes, you say.

Well, for your information, I've got to get up here so that Turk doesn't see me. You still think I'm just saving my own skin, right? Okay, maybe I can explain it better. Y'see, from my experience with them, these wolven thugs seem to be a cowardly and superstitious lot. Maybe I can repeat the stunt I pulled with Razor with Turk here. After all, the biggest, toughest bully always steps down when finally confronted by a bully who's that much bigger and tougher than he is. And if that bully happens to be a malicious monster from myth and legend, well…

So, I put on my best Goblin voice (It's really starting to sound good now!) and say, "Well, well, well, what have we here? A little doggie who seems to have gotten lost! Isn't that… _cute_!"

Turk rears his head up and starts to look into the surrounding trees. "Who… who's there. Come down here and show yourself if you know what's good for ya!"

"Hahahahahaha! Look at how precious he is, trying to order me of all people around! He really thinks he's a big shot, doesn't he? Too bad he's nothing but a scared little pooch who should be running home to his mommy!"

"Come and say that to my face, and then we'll see who runs home to 'mommy,'" he says, trying to sound tough. But I can tell that the mysterious-voice-in-the-woods trick is finally getting to him.

My bluff seems to be working. Time for the real show to begin. "Hahahahaha! He's got spunk, this one. But, you know what happens to the spunky ones, don't you? Something… bad… always comes out of nowhere and swoops them up in its snare, hahaha! And you, my insolent friend, you had better be very careful indeed, 'cause the Goblin's gonna get ya if you don't watch out! Hahahahahaha!"

"Quit laughing at me!" he yells. But he's shaken. He's about ready to call it quits and run away. "Who… who are you, he says?"

I smile. "You've heard of the Jersey Devil? Well, I'm the Jasper Goblin! I haunt the woodlands around here, just looking for the perfect prey… and I think I've found it!"

And you should see the look of terror on this guy's face. I mean, he looks about ready to die of fright! This is actually easier than I thought it was going to be!"

But then, suddenly, he turns around. "Goblin or no Goblin," he says. "I'm going to finish what I… what I started. If… if I have to go out… then at least I'll have some fun before I go. I'm gonna finish this pretty little pup first!" And he starts walking back toward Lilly, though not without a nervous glance around his shoulder every so often.

Okay, looks like we've moved to the main event. I had hoped it wouldn't have to come to this but it has, so I just gotta go with it. "That's a big mistake, my young friend. A very big mistake indeed. Because now, I'll have to give you a taste of my power. For you see, I do not even have to come down there to destroy you. I don't have to even budge. You shall be mine, just as soon as you experience the soul-splintering agony of… my Lunatic Laugh!"

_**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!**_

And the big guy isn't waiting around. He sets off running, but my laugh paralyzes him before he can get too far. Instead, he falls to the ground and ends up slipping and sliding out of sight like one of Humphrey's log-sleds. Pretty soon, he's gone, and unlike with Kate, I feel no moral obligation at all to go and see if he's alright. Lilly's all that matters now.

I climb down out of the tree, being careful not to fall (Hey, me breaking a leg would help absolutely nobody!), and run over to Lilly. She's still out cold. But now she's moderately safe. I try to pick her up but my strength's still gone. So, I end up dragging her along, and even then she's heavy. I know, it's not exactly the most heroic method of rescuing a damsel in distress, but what do you want? It's better than leaving her under that tree!

I finally get her over to the camper. Digging around in there, I manage to find an old blanket. I lay that on the ground and drag her onto it. Okay, so what the heck am I supposed to do now?

"You already have all that you require."

Great. I know that voice. Besides, who else can hear my narration?

Sure enough, the green woodsman is standing on the other side of the camper.

"Hey, buddy, where you been?" I say facetiously.

"No need to be hostile, my friend," he says. "I was merely pointing out a fact."

"Is that right? Well, could you be a little less opaque about it? I have everything that I require, but require for what? What I need is to get Lilly out of here, but if you don't have any ideas about accomplishing that, you can beat it!"

He just stands there, smiling, with both hands on the axe in front of his legs. "As I said, you have everything that you require."

"Okay, buddy, your just wasting my ti–" Aaaaahhhh! There's this surging pain throughout my head. It's almost like that electric shock my mask used to give me but… different somehow… And then there's this white light. And suddenly, I see all those plans for the Goblin Glider, the ones I found in Harry's hideout but never really bothered studying, running through my head. As I regain myself, I look from the car engine hanging half-way out of the hood to the windows on the ground to the bag of tools which I must have dropped when I went to look for Lilly.

"You have got to be kidding me," I say.

He just smiles.

* * *

I don't know how long I've been working, but finally I get it done. It just requires a few more shots from my welding torch (What is _that_ doing in Jenny's tool bag? Oh well, just a good coincidence for me, I guess.) and it's good to go. I step back to admire my handiwork.

The car's engine stands clear in the middle, functioning as, well, the engine. On either side of it are the car's old doors, which act as the wings. And that's really all there is to it, other than a few bits and bobs here and there to make a car engine actually, you know, fly. And, oh yeah, on the front of it is a bat's head I cut out from a piece of the camper that had already been torn off. Hey, I know I've got to save Lilly and all, but at least I can do it in style!

I'm not too thrilled about my first homemade glider being teal, though…

Oh well, time to get on this thing and see if it works. I just hope my strength works this time. I've already got some things I want to salvage, like an old video-recorder and the busted-out stereo, stored in the bottom of the glider, where I also put the tool bag. After I've done that, I walk over to where Lilly is laying. She hasn't woken up yet. I don't know if that means there's anything seriously wrong, or what. Either way, it's best if I just get this over with as soon as possible.

So, I try to pick her up. And I can't. As much as I need to, I really can't. Ooh, this is so annoying! I really, really, really need this and I can't get it! Where's that green lumberjack when you need him? He took off after I started to build my glider and I haven't seen him since. Some friend… And now, I'm just praying that by some miracle I can get her up!

And I feel my strength starting to return. And, I'm slowly able to pull her up, pull her to my chest. And when I'm sure that I've got a good grip on her, I step onto my chariot of fire and then, without being totally sure what's going to happen, I turn the switch.

And we blast off. Well, "blast off" is a relative term. We actually sputter along, with the engine trying it's best to adjust to all this weight and this new way of cruising. Still, it's better than walking.

I gently glide through the forest, looking for any sign of the valley, while also trying to think of a way to get into the valley without my ride being noticed by the wolves. I glide softly around the trees, since I don't think this thing has the power to carry me above them. Luckily, I don't meet anyone in the forest. I chuckle a bit as I think of how Turk and Razor are probably exchanging ghost stories about me. This job does have its perks, you know…

What job? I promised that I wouldn't be the Goblin anymore!

Yet, here I am, flying on a bat-glider and cackling like a demented Christmas elf. I can't explain it, either.

Finally, I get to the edge of the valley. Woohoo! Lilly, we're almost home! As I see one of the patrols coming in our general direction, I decide to set my glider down behind a tree and hope nobody goes looking back there. So, I get off and set Lilly down on the ground, still wrapped in her blanket. And then I start to drag her and the blanket out of the woods. The patrolling wolves see me and run over.

And then I notice that Garth is at their head. This day just keeps getting better.

I am mentally computing all the ways this scenario could possibly end in my death when I see Lilly's eyes starting to flutter. She looks up at me. "Phil?" she says, still somewhat stunned. "What… what happened? Where are we?"

"Home," I say with a smile.

"Lilly!" Garth yells as he comes over. "What happened?"

Without waiting for her response, he turns to me, fire in his eyes. "What did you do to her?"

"Chill, man," I say, "it wasn't me. It was Turk. He threw her against a tree and knocked her out. I'm the one who's just had to drag her back here to safety!"

And then I'm on the ground. Garth's on top of me, his fangs in my face. "But you led her out there! You put her life in danger! Why?"

I try to say something. "I… I…I can't breathe with you pressing down on my chest!"

Ace runs up beside Garth. "Lilly's okay, Garth. She's just a little winded. Let Phil go, it wasn't his fault."

"What are you, an Omega now?" Garth barks at him.

"No, but I am." Lilly has now forced herself up and walks beside Garth, obviously having trouble but refusing to admit it. "It was my fault, not Phil's. I was so angry earlier that I just wanted to get as far out of the valley as I could. I wasn't thinking about the danger. But Phil saved my life twice today."

"Twice?" Garth says, his green eyes not moving from me.

"It's a long story," I say. "One I definitely can't tell on my ever-diminishing supply of oxygen."

Garth looks back to Lilly, whose own eyes are firm, as though she doesn't even need to say anything to communicate what she wants. Garth finally gets off me.

I get back to my feet and brush myself off. Then I look at Garth. He's clearly waiting for an explanation.

"Okay, I don't really deserve credit for saving Lilly's life from Turk," I say. Yes, I do, but I have to keep his suspicions away from me. "It was that other thing. The one that, you know, Kate encountered. It did that laugh thing and took out Turk. I mean, I didn't get a look at it or anything, since I took the opportunity to get Lilly and bang out of there, but it sounded like it did a number on him."

"And what was the other time?" Garth says, clearly not impressed by my story.

"Oh, that's when…"

"That's when some other human tried to throw a rock at me and Phil blocked it," Lilly says. Thanks, Lilly! To try and explain it was my girlfriend to Garth was not on my list of things I really want to do.

"Lilly, when your parents hear about this," Garth says, "I don't think I'll be able to get them to tone down their punishment this time."

Lilly smiles. "I don't need you to, Garth. I am capable of facing them myself. I am a future pack leader, after all."

They all decide to report to Eve and Winston immediately, if only for them to make sure Lilly doesn't have any permanent injuries. Lilly seems almost proud of her adventure, walking in front of all of them. Despite her leg-sprain and the clear pain her back is giving her, she holds her head up and almost seems to be on parade. Garth is looking at her like he's seriously worried. He still doesn't know what's gotten into her. Me, I'm not sure if I do either. Does cheating death give her some sort of thrill? I would never have expected it from her. It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?

Yeah, yeah, I know. Look who's talking, right?

But it seems like they don't notice me. So I slip back to the glider, taking Lilly's blanket with me. When I'm ready, I turn the thing on and lift into the air. I glide around the edge of the valley, being careful that no one sees me. I weave among the trees and rocks, seeking cover wherever I can, hoping to avoid any suspicious eyes. Also, I wrap Lilly's blanket around my head, so that if anybody sees me, they won't recognize me. They might even think that, with the cloak, it's the Green Goblin.

Okay, it's a pretty lame plan, but you got a better one? I didn't think so.

Finally, I get to the point nearest the mountain. And there's nothing for it but to just try and glide to the mountain. No way to prevent people from seeing me except to cross when nobody's around. It turns out I'm in luck, because nobody really is around. So, I pilot my glider over the valley (I'm at the same altitude as when I was in the forest – but that forest was, like, on much higher ground!) and straight toward the mountain. I'm careful to hug the rocks as I turn around, avoiding prying eyes. And there ain't many, luckily, other than Lilly, Garth, and their gang, who I float above for a while. Nobody looks up, but if they did, I would have just ducked onto the path above, so that they couldn't see me. But I'm very lucky today (Had to happen sometime!), and I'm able to break away without their noticing.

At last, I get to my den and I shut my glider off inside. I come to a small, gentle stop on the ground. That has got to be the only advantage of this slow thing. If I had my normal, high-speed glider, I would have crashed into the wall before I could find the brakes. I dismount and throw the blanket over the glider. Perfect fit! Hey, it's a big blanket – and a small glider!

Then I begin to relax. Suddenly, I hear the old woodsman's voice in my head (Again, the hallucination theory just keeps getting stronger!), "It appears that the Green Goblin is capable of saving a life after all."

Normally, I'd protest his interference with my thought patterns, but this time, the man's got a point. I did it! The Green Goblin actually saved a life! Of course, I wasn't in costume or anything – but I did have a glider! Or a reasonable facsimile of a glider. And that's got to count for something!

Just wish I knew what that something was…

Hey, is my duffle bag open?

* * *

**Fate just seems determined to ruin the semblance of sanity Philip has managed to find for himself in Jasper, doesn't it? Not only has he been forced deeper into the hero-role, it looks like his identity really is exposed this time! Surely, things can't get any worse! Oh, but they can, true believers, and they will in our next issue! Because, if you think that Phil's gone up against some tough challenges so far, you haven't seen anything yet because next time it's "Garth vs. The Green Goblin"! **


	12. Garth vs The Green Goblin

Kate looked out into the bright sunshine. Her head still pounded furiously, but otherwise she was feeling nearly her old self. But Eve had absolutely forbidden her to go out. She understood her mother's concern, but Kate was never one to sit on the sidelines while there were things to do. And now, with the pack in even greater danger than ever before, she felt that she could just not lay around idle.

Something else had invaded her territory. First, Hotshot and his thugs, then the human Urich, and now this thing responsible for the blow to her head. The valley was suddenly becoming a very popular destination for mysterious and shady characters. Kate wanted to know why. There were many things she wanted to know. What had happened to Razor? What would Hotshot and Turk think about their friend being ambushed? Did they even know? And what was that green creature anyway? Surely, it wasn't one of Hotshot's tricks; if it had been, it would not have attacked Razor. But why would it save her? And – this more than anything peaked her interest – how was it able to actually outpace her in terms of athletic ability? That, and not the injury to the head, was what really hurt her pride.

But, she couldn't answer those questions right now. She just wasn't in the proper shape. Even though Eve was not currently around, Kate was smart enough to know that she could not simply go twirling and bounding around the valley with a serious head-wound.

But then, she remembered that there was one mystery she could solve. She had heard that Philip Urich had left his den to go on a walk with Lilly. She realized that it would be the perfect opportunity to discover what he was hiding. Though she knew that Urich could have no connection to that green thing, which would have scared the clumsy and uncoordinated human out of his wits, she thought that maybe he knew more about Hotshot and his gang than he was telling.

So, she picked herself up and headed out. She was careful to avoid anyone on the road down from the den. She knew that nobody other than her parents would question her decision to get up and walk around, but she didn't want anybody to get a whiff of her true motives. She was on a mission and she so hated to be distracted from her missions.

Finally, she arrived at the formerly-abandoned den. There was no Alpha posted on duty as Philip was not there. So much the better for her, Kate thought. She could already see the green duffle bag, just right there in the middle of the den. She couldn't help but laugh. It seemed too easy. She was tempted to give up. Would someone with something to hide really be so sloppy at hiding it?

Then she thought about Philip. The answer was a resounding, 'Yes.'

She ventured in, speeding up as she now knew that she was out of prying eyes. She would, of course, have sensed if the lanky human was anywhere around, so she knew that she had time to spare. If did not take an Alpha to track his clumsy movements.

But, why waste time? If she was not hasty, it was not because of overconfidence. No, she valued precision on any job and she was going to be very precise about how she did this.

She gripped the zipper of the duffle bag with one paw and pulled backward. She smiled furtively as the bag opened to reveal…

A ratty old bathrobe, a toothbrush, and a flashlight. Under that were a few shirts and pants, which explained how Phil could occasionally change into new clothes every so often. But other than that, nothing mysterious. Kate still wasn't sure what "jammies" were, but from what she saw, they mustn't be anything too exciting.

She laughed. "Maybe you were right, Humphrey," she whispered as she turned away from the bag. "Humans are just weird. Maybe there isn't any further explanation than that."

As she walked out of the cave, Kate reflected that despite being weird, humans weren't so different from wolves, at least in some ways. There were, apparently, Alphas and Omegas in the human world too. And Philip was definitely an Omega. She chuckled to think of some of his antics. Actually, she could see why he was so taken with Lilly; they were a lot alike. There were some people, like her, who are just cut out for responsibility and leadership, and then there are others, like Lilly and Phil, who aren't.

Yep, Kate reflected, there was no way her sister was ever going to be the leader she was technically supposed to be. Which was fine, it just wasn't in her. Everybody had always known it. There was no reason to think that that would suddenly change just because Lilly and Garth's marriage would unite the packs. Humphrey, now he might have promise, but Lilly was always just going to be the quiet wolf in the corner, even when it came to leadership. Kate just knew it.

And as for Phil, he was a nice enough guy but Kate could tell that he had never experienced the thrill of the hunt, the fast-paced excitement of leaping out of danger at the last moment. And he may have a noble streak in him, but Phil wasn't the type who could handle responsibility, who could come through when other people were depending on him. All in all, she concluded, there was simply no way Philip Urich could ever be a great man…

* * *

Hmm, nothing seems to be missing. That's good. Not that I thought toothpaste or an old bathrobe would net much on the lupine black market, but still. I've seen stranger things. I've been stranger things…

On that note, I'm sure you're wondering by now why I'm not worried about the costume or about the several tons of C-4 laced pumpkins that are clearly not in my duffle bag any longer. But trust me, you don't need to worry about any of that. What, did you really think that I'm a big enough dork that I'd just leave my Goblin gear lying around even though I knew that every wolf in the pack is on high alert for any clues concerning the Goblin's sudden reappearance?

Don't answer that…

No, as it turns out, when I got back from my little adventure (the one where Kate unwilling tried out a new red hair-color), I was looking for somewhere to store my Goblin gear, knowing that the heat would really be on me now. So, I looked around the cave until I found this little cubby-hole behind a rock at the far end of the wall. I don't know what it's doing there or even if it's natural or man-made. (Wolf-made?) Could even be one of those secret shafts smugglers hid whiskey in during Prohibition. Wait, they had Prohibition in Canada, right? I knew I should have paid more attention in history class!

Anyway, I stored all my Goblin goodies in there, figuring that if no one had mentioned it to me and the den's been abandoned for years, that there was a good chance that nobody else knew about this hiding-space. And it looks like I was right to hide my stuff, too! 'Cause somebody's definitely been here and, like I said, I don't think they were after my old pairs of pants. Betcha still don't think I'm a dork anymore, do you?

Don't answer that…

I go over to the rock, pull it back and breathe a sigh of relief as I see Old Gruesome grinning back at me. Well, I'm glad somebody think's it's a real laugh riot. If only he could have seen me today, then he would have had something to grin about!

So, I'm treating my mask like it's another person now. Oookayyy….

"Phil, just the man I wanted to see."

I jump and hurriedly throw my back against the rock, pushing it back over my goodies.

And, as I pray that I haven't given myself away, I see Humphrey standing there. Strange, he never meets me in my den.

"Hey, Humphrey," I say, "you looking for something to do now that Kate's out of action?"

Humphrey doesn't answer me. Instead, he starts talking, with his voice kinda cracked, about today's adventure. "So, I hear you and Lilly almost got killed today. Well, that's… that's something. It's like everybody's getting… you know… that's something."

He's apparently worried. And he probably should be. His blissful existence has been upset by all these new dangers. Me, I'm too busy trying to wrap my mind around everything to worry much. And it's not like I haven't been proactive on the 'confronting danger' front.

"But hey," he says at last, "what's like without a little risk, right? I mean, if life wasn't risky, we'd be just sitting around bored all day. And then we'd all probably end up hating each other." He was obviously trying to lighten the mood with a joke. I can't help but smile. It is better than what I'd probably come up with in this situation.

"Yeah," I say, "like, I can tell you're one big happy family when the conflict passes. I mean, there's just so much tension in the air even on a quiet day. Boy, you must need stuff like this to keep you from killing each other!"

Humphrey shrugs. "Really, it's not that bad. Most days are quiet, and nice, and peaceful. And then we Omegas manage to get into something and ruin all of that tranquility!"

I laugh a little. Humphrey flinches. Oops.

"But… what I really came here for was to see if you wanted to do any more log-sledding with me and the guys," he says. "Since you're such a natural and all."

"Don't you guys ever do anything but log-sledding?" I say. He seems a bit hurt, so I clarify. "Not that there's something wrong with it, it's just that I don't think I could top the sheer insanity of my debut run. At least not without getting maimed and killed in some unbelievably brutal and violent way. So, I've decided to retire while my log-sledding career is still at its height. That way, people will always remember me at the top of my log-game."

Humphrey laughs. "Okay, but since you're retired, I guess we'll have to put you on the old-folks' log. It only goes two miles-per-hour."

Sadly, compared to what I've been cruising with lately, that might just be an improvement.

"I'm sure we can find something else fun to do," Humphrey says. "Let's just get out of here before we waste any more daylight."

Why not? It's not like I've got any more pressing engagements planned. "Sure," I say.

And then me and Humphrey set out. But something's not quite right. As soon as I step out of the den, I hear shouting.

"What's that?" I say, looking upward in the direction of Winston and Eve's den.

"Oh, nothing," Humphrey says. "I'm sure Winston and Tony are just having an argument about which of the packs gets first dibs on the next caribou again. It's nothing to worry about."

He's lying. I can tell in his voice that he's lying. He's worried, scared, and he doesn't want me to know about it. Fine, but I've just got to see what's up there.

"But Humphrey," I say as a smirk starts to form on my face. "I thought you said that the purpose of uniting the packs was so you didn't have to fight over caribou anymore."

He's floored by my logic but I don't wait for him to recover and hit me with the inevitable witty retort. Instead, I take off up the mountain path. I can hear Humphrey chasing after me with calls of "Wait, Phil!" but I don't listen. He's eventually able to pass me up, being a wolf and all, but even without my Goblin powers I'm able to weave around him. Finally, he just tries to stretch himself around the whole of the pathway, blocking my way. So, I jump, hoping that my Goblin agility kicks in and I clear over him. I'm not so lucky, as I end up crashing right into him and we both tumble to the ground. But at least now I'm near the cliff, right near Winston and Eve's place. So I extricate myself from the tangled mess we've become and get the rest of the way up before Humphrey can stop me.

"I told you it was a bad idea, Winston," Tony says, "to let Alphas marry Omegas! If Kate would have just married my son Garth, we wouldn't be having any of this trouble!" As usual, he brings a ray of sunshine to even the darkest occasions!

"Tony, there's no need to go there," Winston says, once again trying to put the cool on his opposite number's temper. Lilly's cowering behind her father as Eve and Kate look on, both looking positively livid at Tony. Garth stands with his father, and the look on his face is none too kind either.

"Yes, there is, Winston," Tony responds, with just a hint of a growl. "We decided to let Garth marry your Alpha school reject of a daughter. And because of that, she started getting delusions of grandeur, aspiring above her station as an Omega, and nearly got herself killed and who knows what else! If we let this keep going on, it'll be the end of both our packs!"

"If you've got a problem with my daughter," Eve says, stepping forward and putting her face in Tony's, "why don't you say it to my face and see how long I let you _live_!"

Tony takes a few small steps back (probably to avoid being so close to Eve's fangs) but otherwise he stands firm. When he talks again, he very purposefully ignores Eve. "Winston, there's still time to make this right. Garth and the Omega haven't married yet, and neither has Kate. We can still have them marry each other and settle this once and for all!"

From what I've gotten from Lilly, Tony was the one who was so big on pushing Kate and Garth's marriage the first time around. Guy's like a broken record, isn't he?

Kate and Garth have looks of absolute disgust on their faces. "As if," Kate says. "We know who we want to marry and we'll marry who we choose!"

"Then, they'll be another war!" Tony says.

Kate smiles. Not because she's particularly happy with her boorish almost-father-in-law but because she knows she's got the upper hand of the argument. "Please! Since you and my parents allowed us to marry, the whole pack – eastern and western – has really embraced the idea! No one wants to fight over it any more, no one even thinks it should be just Alphas with Alphas and Omegas with Omegas. If you tried to make war over it now, no one would follow you!"

She does make a good point. And I'm not just saying that because I still feel guilty about busting her head open.

I notice Lilly's trying to sulk away without being seen. Poor kid, having a whole war almost start because of her. I really can't think of a less fun thing than that.

Well, maybe going up against the Steel Slammer, but I digress.

"They'll follow me if I tell them to!" Tony yells.

"You're supposed to be retired, old wolf!" Kate yells back. And I can't help but chuckle at that.

The whole group flinches. Oops again! Now they know I'm here. Garth immediately rounds on me.

"No need to talk of me marrying Kate," he says, "because Lilly isn't to blame for this. No, it's all Phil's fault!"

"Humphrey, I thought I told you to keep Phil away from here," Winston says.

"I tried but he got away from me," Humphrey replies, for the first time nearly at a loss for words.

I'd love to add something fresh to this conversation but before I can say anything, I'm on my back. Garth has, for the second time today, pounced on me. You know, I must have some residual Goblin endurance or something, because my body really should have collapsed in on itself from the pressure the first time.

But now he's got his snout in my face and I carefully count the number of big, shiny teeth he's showing off. I wonder how to forestall getting better acquainted with them.

"What are you doing to her!" He barks in my face. "Tell me, what are you doing?"

"Garth, stop!" Kate says as she runs over. Garth gets off of me and walks toward her. "Kate, you said it yourself. Ever since Phil arrived, things have been getting strange around here. Especially with regard to Lilly. We have to figure out what he's up to!"

"He's not up to anything!" Kate says. And I never thought I'd hear her defending me. "I checked his bag today, and there was nothing in there!" Oh, that explains that mystery. I probably should have figured that one out on my own. But I never said I was an ace detective!

I start to stand up, but then Garth all of a sudden comes barreling toward me again. "No, he's doing something to her! He's hurting her! And I'm going to stop him!"

And a second later, I hit the rock-wall at a particularly bad angle. That never would have happened if I had my Goblin reflexes, but I don't, so there you go.

As I pick myself up, I feel the pain of three large scratches going through my shoulder. It's just too much for me to handle. I fall down and I think I cry out in pain. At least I don't actually, you know, cry tears. Like, that would be sooooo embarrassing…

So, what are my options here? Well, my powers aren't coming in, so I can't hope to go toe-to-toe with Garth. I do always have my old reliable, the Lunatic Laugh. Yeah, I could tear Garth's air-drums to pieces in a second – along with everybody else here. Not a good idea. Besides, that would just give away who I am. Well, I guess I'll just have to rely on one of the wolves to step in and save me.

"That's it, son!" Tony shouts. "Do what we should have done in the first place!"

Okay, scratch that idea. I am going to die.

And then Garth puts his head under my arm and flips me over, so that I'm lying flat on my back. And, who knows, something may be broken, 'cause I've lost all feeling in my arms and legs. But Garth ain't done with me yet. Despite all the shouts and orders from my friends (like, I am so not considering Tony a friend after this), he doesn't stop. It looks like I really am dead.

And then Lilly jumps in front of me, her speed causing her hair to go flying out of her left eye. "Garth, get back!" she says. And I think everybody's surprised by the commanding tone in her voice.

"Get out of the way, Lilly," Garth says.

"No, you go calm down! Phil hasn't done anything to hurt me! There's no reason to do this to him!"

"Lilly, get out of the way! That's an order!"

Lilly looks more determined than ever. "No, Garth, you will not order me around! You may be an Alpha and I may be an Omega, but I'm also your future mate. As far as I'm concerned, even though you may still be several ranks higher than me, our marriage alone makes us equals! So, you will not order me to do anything!"

You go, Lilly! Girl power! Er, Omega power! Girl Omega power? Whatever.

Seeing that his better half (Literally!) ain't gonna budge, Garth finally begins to settle down. "Okay, Lilly, fine," he says. "I'll cool off, sure. If that's what you want, fine."

Phew! Saved again! How do I always manage to survive these near-death situations? I must have a guardian angel somewhere. And today that guardian angel just happens to be a heaven-white little she-wolf named Lilly!

I begin to get up as Eve comes to look at my battle-scars. It's the first non-hostile action she's shown to me the whole time I've been here! Who knows, this could be the start of a beautiful relationship! A mutually-psychotic, beautiful relationship!

"Besides, we'll finish this later," Garth says as Tony looks on, beaming with pride. Funny, where have I met this family before? Somehow I think that maybe they're the ones who should be flying around in green Halloween costumes and giving out exploding pumpkins!

I don't particularly like the threat, but then what Garth says next really gets to me. "I mean, I can get what I want to know out of Phil any time! He's, after all, just a puny, pathetic, weak, little human who couldn't even defend himself from a spider!"

A spider! Moi? Unable to defeat a spider? If he had said anything else, anything at all, I might have let it pass. But, as it is, with this I just completely lose control.

"I mean, look at him!" he continues. "That's the sort of thing we did for play in Alpha school and it's completely knocked him out! What a loser!"

That's it, buddy! I've had enough!

"I can see why he's hanging out here! The humans couldn't even find a use for him! He might as well not even exist!"

Nobody disses the Green Goblin!

I jump to my feet and push Lilly out of the way. I run toward Garth with all my might and he turns just in time to see my fist coming in for a wild haymaker! It sends him flying back into the rock-wall and he plows several inches into it without stopping. And I start to giggle a little. It's all I can do to keep from a full blown Lunatic Laugh.

And then I notice that everybody's staring at me. Everybody. They're all watching me, shocked, confused, maybe a little scared. Unflappable Kate looks like she's about to be flapped. Eve for the first time has a look in her eye other than her two favorite choices; protective and homicidal. Winston looks deeply pained and Tony just stands there, his mouth hanging open. Humphrey, well, his face is about the same as Tony's, except his eyes look a little frightened.

And then there's Lilly. She's positively frozen. She doesn't even notice that the fur has fallen over her one eye again. Her mouth hangs open, not wide like Humphrey's and Tony's, but somehow it looks more shocked than either of them. There's something in her eyes. Fear? No, not fear. No, she looks… hurt? She looks hurt and angry and I think all that pain and anger is directed toward… me!

You know, I think I might have just made a big mistake.

"Phil," Lilly says quietly. "How… could you?"

She then runs over to Garth, who is slowly unpeeling himself from the new cavern he's created. She licks his face as he gets down and whispers into his ear. And I'm feeling really great about myself right now…

I must be the world's biggest dork!

Winston starts to walk toward me. "Philip…" he says.

But he can bag that noise for all I care! I am out of here! I don't need any more of this awkward silence to know it would be better if I was someplace else! So I just turn and bang out of there before anyone can stop me. Nobody even tries.

I head back down toward my cave. I must look like a man on a mission, because all the wolves I come across just get out of my way. Once I'm there, I pull the blanket back from my makeshift glider. I hop aboard and let the thing carry me out into the open air. I really don't care who sees me at this stage, but the mountain and valley seem deserted when I hit the sky. And I just head off for the far side of the valley.

So what the heck am I supposed to do now? I don't know! Should I scrap my Goblin gear and my glider together and bag this whole scene for the town and Jenny? Should I just try and ride out the consequences of my actions no matter what happens? I don't know. Right now, I just want to get some air and try and sort myself out.

I mean, why did I do it? Why did I hit Garth? Because he was talking about jumping me later and he was mocking me? Now I'm sure he'll think twice before he does that again. But still, I could have forgot all that, but then he mentioned about that _spider_.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you know Goblins and Spiders don't mix. What drove Norman and Harry Osborn to play around in their green and purple tights for so long after it had lost any practical benefit? They're obsessive hatred of Spider-Man. And what killed them both? That same hatred of that one person; Spider-Man.

Now me, I don't got anything against the wall-crawler. In fact, we didn't make such a bad team (not a great team, but not bad) when we actually met up that one time. But, I guess it's just a professional thing. As a self-respecting Goblin with an image to maintain, I don't like being so unflatteringly compared to any of those Spider-guys. Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, doesn't matter. I know Garth wasn't referring to those Spiders, but I guess something in me just… just snapped!

Well, I guess my cover's pretty much blown by now. I mean, that was text-book Super-Goblin Strength. And to add to it, once I've sent Garth flying, I just stand there with a dopey smile on my face and offer up some Lunatic Giggles. You don't get more obvious than that!

I spend some time wallowing in a healthy dose of self-pity as I glide to parts unknown. And then, suddenly, my glider starts to backfire! The thing's kicking and sputtering like it's never done before. Suddenly, it starts to take a nose-dive and there's nothing I can do to stop it! My only hope is to jump off and pray that I don't break anything too vital. So, as we start to near the ground I jump and as I'm about to meet the forest floor, I tuck my head in and roll out of the glider's path. This is why Norman Osborn didn't build his glider out of used car-parts in the first place. I guess five miles-per-hour was just pushing the thing too hard.

Yeah, I'm a real daredevil, ain't I? No, not that Daredevil! Please…

As I get off, the glider completes its arc to the ground and starts swerving off into the forest. Oookaayyy… At least it didn't blow up! But, being the conscientious and responsible person I am (What? There's a first time for everything!), I decide to go after it and make sure it doesn't brutally maim someone or start a fire or something. I know it's remote out here, but I don't want to take the chance! Like, if there's a tribe of talking wolves in these parts, who knows what else is out there, just wanting revenge for being harmed by a seriously mean car-part glider? Me, I don't particularly want to find out...

* * *

Everybody sat in silence on the edge of the cliff. Nobody knew quite what to say. After all, what was there to say after the great scene which had just presented itself? Humphrey, remembering his duty as an Omega, took it upon himself to offer up something.

"So, he he, what about this weather we're having, huh? All blue and sunny, I mean, what's up with that? When are we going to get some rain-clouds or something, he he?"

"Garth, what on Earth is wrong with you?" Eve said to her future son-in-law.

"Okay, not the response I was expecting," Humphrey said. He had broken the ice, but not in the way he wanted.

Tony now confronted Eve. "What do you mean what's wrong with my son? What's wrong with your daughter? She should have just let him finish off the human when he had the chance! It would have saved us a lot of trouble!"

"Because murder by one of the future head Alphas would look so good in our pack's history," Kate said. "Garth, what got into you? Weren't you trained to keep your emotions in check?"

"Says the Alpha who nearly drove the pack to war because she was in love with an Omega," Tony mumbled.

"Hey, come on, guys," Humphrey said, trying to regain the moment. "Really, why is it always sunny here? I for one could use with a good bath every so often!"

Garth and Lilly were huddled in a corner.

"Are you alright?" Lilly said. "You took a bad hit there."

Garth looked into her eyes. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I don't know what came over me. It's just that, with everything that's been happening, I just can't think straight anymore."

He got up and walked over to his father and his future in-laws. "I'm sorry, I've brought disgrace to the pack through my actions. I'll take whatever punishment you see fit."

"Son, you're a future Head Alpha, you don't need to take anything from anybody!" Tony said.

"Dad, I want to face punishment for my actions. It will show the pack that nobody is above our law and that we cannot tolerate such blatant infractions from any one, especially when they result in danger to others."

Tony nods in understanding. "Of course, you're right, Garth. I never thought the day would come when my son would have to correct me on pack law. But, you're right. Winston, Eve, and I will have to decide a suitable punishment."

Garth nodded and began to walk away. As he did so, Humphrey walked over and studied the Garth-shaped hole in the wall. "Wow, Phil really slugged Garth good, didn't he?"

Kate gave her future mate a 'not now' look but Garth did not seem to be paying attention. He and Lilly disappeared down the path, heading for their den. Kate now stepped beside Humphrey.

"I just… I just didn't think Phil could hit like that," Humphrey whispered.

"Probably Garth's fault more than Phil's," Kate answered. "He was definitely not prepared for an attack, and I think his weight and size did the rest."

Kate looked over her shoulder to see her parents coming close to Tony. They all seemed solemn as they talked in whispered tones. Kate got the hint.

"Come on, Humphrey, let's go for a walk."

"But Kate, your head!"

"It's just a walk, Humphrey! Come on!"

Humphrey shrugged as he followed her down the path, leaving the three leaders in peace.


	13. The Calm Before the Storm

**Philip Urich wanted a normal life, or at least as normal of a one as you could have surrounded by talking wolves. But, unfortunately for him, his every action seems to give the Jasper pack more clues about his dark secret - that he is in fact the Green Goblin! Now, however, it seems that he might fbe able to find a measure of peace in Jasper Park. But in the life of the world's strangest super-hero, peace never lasts. No, as Phil is about to discover, this is only "The Calm Before the Storm"!**

* * *

Well, I followed my glider and, good news, it ended up driving straight into a lake! It got halfway out before the ripples disappeared from the surface of the water. I don't know if it stopped or if the lake just got deeper. It could be running crazy all over the bottom for all I know! I just stand on the edge of the lake, slowly realizing that all my hard work just literally went down the drain. Then again, it's not like it's too big of a loss. The thing's miles-per-hour was in the low single-digits, after all. What really steams me is that I don't have any way of building a new glider now that I lost that engine. I begin to walk away, figuring it'll be a long way back to the valley and I want to get there before it gets dark. The sun's already sinking toward the distant mountains and I hold my arms close to my chest – whether from cold or fear of being on my own in such unfamiliar territory, I don't know. But I keep going, hoping with every step to see the valley, to see–

Whoa! I fall straight to the ground after my foot kicks something. By the sound it made – not to mention the pain in my toes – it must be something metal. I begin to dig.

It doesn't take me long to discover that it's a crate of some kind. There are words, some sort of ancient script. I slowly dig away, wondering what it could be.

The remains of a lost civilization?

Wreckage from a passing starship?

The Ark of the Covenant?

My bad, that's not an ancient script. It's French. Digging above it, I find that there are English words as well. "Royal Canadian Air Force."

Huh, wonder what this is doing out here.

"A shipment meant for a military base in British Columbia."

I know that voice. Looks like my green friend is back. I get up and stare him in the face.

"Unfortunately, there was a problem with the plane delivering it. A malfunction if you will. An explosion rocked the plane, but it managed to stay in the air and reach British Columbia. But not before the cargo hold and all its shipments were lost above Jasper Park."

"Like, fascinating," I say. "I don't see what that has to do with me."

"Dig a little further," he says.

"You mind giving me a hand?" I say. But he's silent.

"Fine, fine," I say. "I'll do everything myself."

So, soon enough, I've dug enough that I'm able to get a good hold on it. Not sure what else to do, I try to pull it up. But my powers aren't with me, so I can't make it budge. And then, something unexpected happens. The green man comes over and grips on the container.

"Let me help you, friend," he says. And he pulls.

And I pull. Together we get it out. Is my strength returning or is it all him? I wish I knew.

He lays it down and points toward the side. "Now, dust of the dirt there, and see what is written."

I get down on one knee and polish the metal case with my sleeve. Finally, I clear enough away to read, in big black letters, "Oscorp."

I jump to my feet. "Oscorp?" I say. And now, I'm totally confused. I mean, more so than normal.

"Oscorp once entered into a defense contract with the Canadian armed forces. They provided the prototype of a new personal aircraft which would make Canada's air-force the envy of the world. It never made it to British Columbia and the deal fell through before Canada could request another model. Which is for the best, because I doubt very much that they would be happy to know where the inspiration came from for this idea."

I look up at him, understanding beginning to dawn on me. "You mean, it's a glider?"

He nods. "It is primitive compared to what the Osborns used; that they wanted to keep to themselves. But with enough modifications, it could indeed make an adequate Goblin Glider."

"Wow! But… how would I ever get it back to the valley?"

"Why, you shall carry it!"

I look at the man in disbelief. I've heard a lot of crazy things from him, but this has got to take the cake. "Have you gone nuts? I can't lift that! Not without my powers!"

"You shall have your powers," he says, "on your way back. Do not worry about that."

"Oh, and I'm supposed to take your word for it now?"

"Have I ever spoken falsely to you before?"

I shrug. "Well… no, but you haven't exactly been straightforward and honest with me this whole time. I still have many questions. Like why do my powers just seem to come and go?"

He smiles, that large animalistic smile. "You shall know in time."

"See, there you go again. How am I ever supposed to trust you when you – hey!"

As you probably guessed, he just disappeared again. I really, really hate it when he does that!

Well, I guess there really is nothing to do but take his word for it – this time. So, I pick up the box and, much to my surprise, I'm actually able to lift it. I'm not up to full strength – I couldn't hold the thing above my head with one hand or anything – but I'm able to carry it without too much effort.

I don't know how long I've been walking for, but suddenly I hear voices talking in the woods. It doesn't take someone with Daredevil's hearing to know that it's Hotshot and his hoodlums. Joy.

"Here I am, trying to run on honest business," Hotshot rails, "and you two are just slouching on the job. All I want is for you to put a little pressure on the Jasper wolves, teach 'em who's boss, but do I get it? No! What's worse, you both come back to me with some story about a green goblin haunting the valley! What is this, worker revolt? Trying to get one up on 'the man?' Explain!"

If only he knew who was listening in right now…

Next, Razor speaks. "But, boss, there really is a Goblin! He's big and large and he's got these fangs that are like, ten feet tall or something. He can make fire come out of his hands and eyes! Fire! Just like that and he'll incinerate you! And then, he just appears and disappears, without there being any sort of movement in between!"

Hey, that sounds like a pretty good description to me! And of me, to boot!

Turk speaks up. "And don't forget that laughing! It's like somebody exploded a bomb in my eardrums! I think it'll haunt my soul until the day I die. Once you hear it, you can never be happy and carefree again!"

I'm really enjoying this. It's not every day I get an ego boost, you know! I can't wait till they get to the part about how my skin is bulletproof and how ruggedly handsome I am! (What? I can dream!)

"Boys, I try to treat all my employees fairly. If you had just come to me and told me the real reason why you failed to apprehend the two daughters of the chief of the pack, I'm sure we could have worked something out. But you had to go and make up stories. What am I ever going to do with the two of you?"

Apprehend Kate and Lilly? You mean there was some sort of _plan_ in the works? And here I thought that these jokers were just taking whatever cheap shots they could when the opportunity presented itself. I never guessed that they might have a plan or something!

I guess it's a good thing that the Green Goblin was on the scene, after all! Who would have ever thought?

"But boss," the two stooges say together, "the Goblin is real!"

You bet he is!

"I don't want to hear it. I've had enough of these Jasper wolves defying my authority. They will recognize their betters, if it's the last thing they ever do! You see, boys, while you two were supposed to be acquainting them with the new way things are run, I wasn't just sitting in my office smoking cigars. No, I was out recruiting some new partners to our association. Believe me, when we hit the Jasper wolves, it's going to be one hostile takeover!"

I don't like the sound of that! Maybe if Hotshot gets a taste of the Goblin, he'll think twice about whatever he's got in the works. I don't have my costume with me, and this glider's just a bunch of parts right now, so I'll have to put the fright in him with the Lunatic Laugh:

Hahahahahahahahaha!

Yeah, I know it's not that powerful, but I'm trying to hold back. After all, I can't control the laugh when it gets to dangerous frequencies, so I don't want to do that unless I absolutely need to.

But it seems to do the trick anyway.

"What was that crazy noise?" Hotshot says.

"The Goblin!" his two buddies shout together.

"He's come to eat us!" Razor says.

"Let's get out of here before he gets to us!" Turk says.

"Aaaahhh!" Hotshot says as the other two stampede over him. "I'm gonna kill you two for this!"

Hahahaha!

"Just as soon as I get away from… that!" And he runs off too.

Like I said, cowardly and superstitious lot.

I peak through the trees just long enough to see the three of them running toward an old warehouse far in the distance. So maybe that's where their headquarters is! This is so far off the beaten wolf-path that it's no wonder Kate and Garth never found it! If I had my Goblin gear, I'd go investigate but, as it is, Philip Urich isn't going to make the most intimidating opponent and right now, I most worried about what other than Goblins could be lurking in these trees at night. I don't intend to stick around and find out!

I finally make it back to the valley around nightfall and carefully sneak back into my den. A few wolves pass by me here and there, but they don't seem to notice the giant box in my hands. All in all, a definite gloom has settled over the place. I don't like it, but it suits my purposes well enough, so I can't complain. Instead, I just high-tail it to my den and try to hide the big box the best I can under the blanket.

No, it doesn't look that great, thank you very much! Sue me!

While I'd like to settle in for the night and hope tomorrow is a better day, I know I can't. I have a responsibility (Responsibility? Me?) to tell Winston and Eve what I heard. I venture quickly up the side of the mountain, hoping emphatically not to run into Lilly, Garth, Humphrey, Kate, or anybody else who could possibly remind me of today's outing. In fact, I don't really want to talk to Winston and Eve, because I'm sure they won't trust me after today, but I know I've got to.

When I get to the cliff where their den is, everything is quiet. There's no hint of life in the general area. I look into the den itself, but it's hard to see if there's anybody in there since it's now night.

Huh, maybe I should come back later?

"Phil!"

I jump. It's Eve!

But, when I look in her eyes, I see something… strange. She actually seems concerned for me! I mean, she's got that motherly look in her eye that she usually reserves for Kate or Lilly. There isn't even a hint that she wants to creatively rip out my lower cardiovascular system! I don't know if I like this…  
"We were all so worried about you after what Garth did to you," she says.

"You were?" I respond, surprised.

"Of course we were. The way you just took off, we thought you might be bleeding to death somewhere! Here, let me take a look at the scratches. You really don't want to leave them untended."

She walks over. "Let me see."

"No… no, that's fine," I say. "Really it is."

"Sit!"

Even when she's motherly, she's scary! I obey without question, plopping myself down and resigning myself to the fact that Eve always gets her way.

"Now let me see," she says. "I see Garth really did a number on you. Your shirt is all bloody. I'm afraid it may be ruined."

"It's… it's alright. I can always get a new one. I get them cheap from the bargain store!" I could, of course, afford new ones with all the money I saved up from turning myself in to Arcade (long story) but I'm just so used to not having much more money than a couple of dollar bills. It's, like, force of habit!

I happen to exit my daydream of secondhand clothing just as a look of shock comes over Eve's face. I look to see what she's staring at. She's pulled the shirt back from my shoulder to reveal – nothing? Absolutely nothing? Nothing at all?

Yep, my shoulder is completely fine. There's not even a scratch. Now that I think about it, I didn't feel anything ever since I got on my car-glider earlier. How is that even possible? I mean, that can't be possible, can it?

Wait, I remember that when I was looking through some of Harry's notes that I found in his hideout, I found an entry where he claimed to have discovered that the Goblin Formula created some sort of "accelerated healing factor" in the recipient. But, by that time, Harry's notes were getting increasingly incoherent and just plain crazy. So me and Uncle Ben both figured that he was completely off his rocker by that point.

Maybe he was still more on his rocker (glider?) than we realized. But, if he was right about the accelerated healing factor, then that means Norman Osborn could have survived being impaled on his own glider! And Harry could have even survived his toxic spa-treatment!

Nah, couldn't be…

I jump up and move my shoulder as far away from Eve's prying eyes as I can. "See," I say, "it was, like, just a flesh wound! I'm a heavy bleeder but I think it's fine now! I'll put some peroxide or something on it when I get back to my den!"

Eve looks perplexed and more concerned. "Well, if you're sure. I would still like to take a look at it, but–" She starts to come toward me.

I try to wave her away. "Really, there's no need!"

"Don't interrupt me, dear. If you say so, then fine."

She halts and we stand there in silence. She seems as though she's waiting for me to say something and give some reason to justify my presence.

Oh, wait! I did have something to tell her! "Eve," I say, working up my courage (Hey, talking to her about anything requires a ton of bravado!) and hoping she's in the mood to listen, "I came back because there's something I've got to tell you. When I was out there, I went out of the valley and I'm not sure where I ended up, but Hotshot and his cronies were there. They didn't see me, but I overheard them talking and Hotshot says he's bringing in more goons to attack us! I saw a warehouse in the distance, which might be their headquarters. Then I high-tailed it back here!"

"Slow down, Phil," she says. "Allow yourself a chance to breath. Now, are you sure that is what you heard?"

I nod frantically. "Uh-huh. Hotshot was very upset with Turk and Razor, something about them failing to abduct Kate and Lilly. So he says he's brought some new people in to do the job better. I really didn't like the sound of that."

"Nor do I. But if they try anything, I'll–"

"Let me guess, you'll shove the better part of their spines through their own intestinal tracts?"

"Phil, what did I say about interrupting?"

"Sorry. Force of habit."

"Besides, that would be too kind for them. It would be like a walk in the sun compared to what I'd actually do."

Eve now begins to pace. I watch her as she goes back and forth, deep in thought, probably planning all the completely excruciating ways she's going to make the goon-squad suffer. I want to ask her what she's thinking about but, like the lady says, "Don't interrupt!"

Finally, she looks back at me, and her eyes show more concern than ever. But from the way she's looking at me, I can tell that it's not just for me anymore. No, she's clearly worried about her daughters and the whole of the pack. I want to say something wise and witty and comforting to diffuse the situation. Unfortunately, nothing occurs. Typical…

"Sorry if it's a waste of time," I say. "I just thought you ought to know."

"You did the right thing coming to me, Phil. I'll have to inform Winston about it immediately. It's a good thing that all of the wolves are in their dens. After the day's big events, nobody seemed much interested in going out into the sunshine."

That's a comfort, I guess… They either care that much about me or just really don't want to be in Garth's path when he's angry.

Yeah, I know, probably the second.

"Then where is Winston?" I say.

"He's down in Kate and Humphrey's den discussing business. If you don't mind, I'll go tell him this immediately. You don't need to come if you don't want to."

I don't want to. "Yeah, that's cool. I think I'll just head back to my cave and maybe catch some z's. Busy, busy day. Was nearly killed twice so I think I deserve a good night's rest."

"Good night, Phil," Eve says to me as she begins to head down the path. "Boy sleeps too much," I hear her mutter to herself.

I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight. I'm too psyched about putting my new toy together to get any shut eye. I literally run down the path and in no time at all make it to my cave – my Goblin Cave (I like the sound of that!) – as I prepare to get down and dirty with making a brand new glider.

I stroll into my lair like a kid going into a candy store. Scratch that; like a kid whose rich parents just bought the candy store and the entire candy franchise! I am feeling good! And, as I look to my sweet metal crate, wanting to savor every minute of this, I see… Lilly?

_Lilly?_ What, is she, like, stalking me now?

She seems to be asleep, but immediately picks her head up as I walk in. Both eyes are uncovered. She stares at me with those lavender eyes, which I try to avoid as I walk toward… where am I walking to, exactly? I was on autopilot for the big box in the back, but if I go there, it will just clue her in to the box's presence. I don't know if she already noticed it but, if I'm lucky–

"What's in the box, Phil?" she asks.

"Oh, the box… it was… just some stuff I went back to the camper to get. Nothing much, he he…"

She winces as my nervousness gets the better of me. Oops again!

I wheel around and sit next to her. In a rush to change the subject, I say, "What are you doing here, Lilly?"

"Everybody was worried about you after you disappeared. I heard from some wolves that you were back and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, I'm okay. Of course I'm okay. Just had to get my box. Now I'm okay."

Lilly sits up. "Okay?" She doesn't sound like she believes me. Who can blame her? I don't even really believe me!

"Okay," I say.

"After Garth hurt you so bad, we all got scared that you had passed out somewhere. We searched the valley all over for you and I wanted to go out of the valley but dad insisted it would be too dangerous."

"Good call," I say, "but I survived. In fact, Garth barely got a scratch on me!" I'm trying to deflect Lilly's suspicions.

She studies my red-shouldered shirt and, with evident concern, says, "But all that blood!"

"Exactly what your mother said," I say, "but I just bleed really bad from wounds. So, even though it just scratched the surface, my favorite shirt is ruined."

This gets a laugh out of Lilly and I'm glad that the tension has been somewhat alleviated.

"And everybody was shocked," Lilly says, "by how you positively slammed Garth into that wall."

They are? Oh boy, my cover's blown sky-high!

"They are?" I say, trying to sound casual. As usual, I fail.

"Yep," she says with a slight smile. "How could he let himself be caught so off guard that even an Omega's punch could hurt him? He should have known that his brawn would just work against him! Everybody says so!"

Okay, paint me confused. "So, it was because of his own misplaced strength that I cold-cocked him into that wall?"

Lilly giggles. "You should know, Phil. You were there."

"I know I was but it's all kinda a blur now."

"Everybody's been teasing him about it. I try not to – much!"

"But, everybody seemed so concerned. _You_ seemed so concerned."

She giggles some more. "Yeah, we were. But it turns out it was only his pride that hurt! The rest of him's fine, but he won't set foot outside of our den until he's sure it's all been forgotten. So, of course, nobody's going to forget."

I have to laugh at that. But I use my non-Lunatic laugh (My relatively sane laugh, then?). I have to be more careful about that from now on. But I'm still on edge.

"You seemed so mad at me after I did it," I say quietly.

She smiles one of her sweet smiles. "I was mad, Phil. I thought you actually hurt him. Even though he was acting like a jerk, I still love him with all my heart. So, my heart just broke when I thought that something really bad might have happened to him. And I just didn't think that you of all people would actually be the one to hurt him. I always figured Kate might because Kate doesn't take any nonsense, but not you."

I try to smile. That is a compliment, I suppose.

But Lilly catches that my grin is only half-hearted at best. She gives me a reassuring smile as her eyes twinkle with understanding. "You're two sweet to actually hurt anybody, I mean."

"Even when I slug a punch, apparently. I should probably apologize for that."

She gives me a look like she half-agrees, half-doesn't. "Yeah, maybe. Though you only did it because he was making so many threats. It was actually kinda brave, even if Garth could have torn you apart if he had been paying attention."

"Comforting thought," I say, looking at my shoes rather than at Lilly.

"I'm sure Kate would have stepped in eventually!" she says. "After all it is her job. She was meant to be a fighter. Me and you just weren't meant to be fighters, Phil."

And when she says that last part, I can't help but look behind her head to that jagged rock which conceals all of my Goblin gear from her view.

And I get up and walk over to the entrance of the cave. I stare into the dark night, wondering if what she says is true. I just don't know.

"But have you ever wanted to be more?" I ask.

"More what?" she says, walking up beside me.

"More than just someone who lives to joke around all day. More than someone who doesn't do anything but have fun and wait for everyone else to do the important stuff."

"But that's what we are, we're Omegas."  
I shake my head. "I know that. That wasn't my question. Don't you want to be_ more_ than an Omega?"

Now she shakes her head. She's not so much saying no as acting like she can't wrap her mind around it. "But that is our place! That is the role we occupy in the pack. We all have our roles to fulfill. This is ours. You act like being an Omega is a bad thing."

"I know it's not."

"Then what do you want? You never seemed like you had a problem with fun and laughter before."

"I don't." I say. And I ain't lying! Laughter has been very good to me!

"Then would you prefer to be an Alpha with all the duties and responsibilities to worry about? And never get to have any fun?"

"No, I guess not…"

"I know I don't understand humans very much, but everything you're saying just sounds strange! What, exactly, do you want?"

I shake my head and shrug a little. "I don't even know. Why can't we just have it all?"

"That isn't how it's supposed to be, Philip. We do our jobs, everybody else does there's. That's how the pack survives. Even if we wanted to, we're not cut out to be Alphas. I mean, we don't have the natural ability, much less the training, to do that job."

"You're right," I say. "I've never had the natural ability to do much of anything. I've never been one of those jocks who were so tough just because they were born that way."

"You weren't meant to be," she says. "You're not all brawn. You've got a purpose, and that's to make things fun and prevent everybody from killing everybody else. I mean, if you were more powerful, you could have seriously hurt Garth when you punched him and me when you knocked me down."

I turn toward her, my face filled with anxiety. "Knocked you down?"

She smiles. "It was nothing. Just the excitement, I know. When you pushed me out of the way, I fell over. I didn't really hurt anything, though. My legs just got a little bruised. Mom says that I'll be fine in a few days."

Little does she know that I had only meant to give her a light nudge. My Goblin strength must have magnified it into something much worse. As for Garth, I can kinda see how his own size may have worked against him for the punch, but as for leaving a _wolf-shaped hole_ in the mountain? I don't think so.

I can't even think of how to answer, so she answers for me. "Don't look like that. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. So, I think you should forget about it. And don't worry about not being an Alpha."

I'm still silent. So she winks at me. "I wouldn't like you as much if you were."

I smile, but it's a sad smile, a reflective smile. (That the right word?) I say, "But yet, you're attracted to Alphas."

She sighs. "You and Garth are two different people. You really can't compare–"

"Thanks. That makes me feel _so_ much better."

"Let me finish." She does have her mother in her. "You can't compare yourself to him or him to you. You two are so different! But I can open up to both of you in ways that I can't with most people."

That's a fair point, I guess. We stand in silence for a while.

"Really, you've never wanted to be anything different?" I say, after a while.

"Back to that subject?"

"Really, not once?"

She tilts her head back and tries to think. "Well, only because mom and dad are so disappointed that I didn't turn out better. But otherwise, no. That kind of life just isn't for me."

"Come on, not even a little?"

"No."

"Didn't seem that way today. When we got back from nearly being killed, you seemed all giddy. Almost like you enjoyed it."

She closes her eyes and shakes her head slowly. "No, that was just the feeling of realizing that you could have been killed, but weren't. I didn't enjoy being attacked by Turk but I was so glad that I had survived. You must have felt that way too. I never got to say thank you for staying with me, even though it would have gotten you killed."

"Yeah, if the G– I mean if that monster thing hadn't showed up again, we might have been done for."

Lilly seems almost pained to think of it. But as she looks at me, clearly it's my pain she's thinking of, not her own. "I can't believe you actually heard it laugh! I wasn't awake, but still, that laughing crept into my dreams. It gave me a real nightmare – worse than the one we were actually in!"

I really can't do anything right. Even when I win, I mess up.

She smiles again. "But you tried to save me, even if you weren't cut out for it. That's got to count for something. And besides, I'm still glad you're just an Omega, like me!"

I smile weakly. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

And then a light comes on in her eyes. Really, it's quite beautiful. I think she's suddenly remembered something. Turns out I'm right. "Ooh, did I ever show you my turtle impersonations?"

Turtle impersonations? "Uh, no," I say.

She giggles and runs out onto the cliff. "Okay, what am I?"

Am I going to regret this conversation?

* * *

"This is very serious news," Winston said after Eve had finished relating all that she had learned from Philip. He was together with his wife and eldest daughter in the den that Garth and Lilly occupied. He and Kate had arrived to announce the punishment which the pack leaders had mutually agreed upon for Garth, who had been laying there nursing his pride and was now awaiting their verdict. Tony, feeling uncomfortable assigning a punishment for an action he himself had urged on, had departed for the eastern pack lands beforehand.

"We have to go after them," Kate said. "We have to do something!"

"I agree!" Garth said, standing up and regaining his old confidence.

"That would be too hasty," Winston said. "We don't know what they're planning or why."

Kate looked like she was about to argue, but Eve said, "Your father's right. We can't risk the lives of our Alphas if we don't know what we're dealing with."

Just then, Ace ran into the cave.

"Ace, what is it?" Winston said, concerned by his speed and the anxiety on his face.

Ace panted heavily, but managed to find time to speak between gasps. "It's Hotshot and his goons! They found Tony as he was heading back home and attacked him! I was too far away when I heard his calls for help, so I thought I should get some reinforcements before going after him."

"Dad!" Garth cried. "Ace, if anything happened to him, I'll kill you!"

"I think you've made enough idle threats for today," Ace responded, completely unconcerned by Garth's words.

"We have to go immediately!" Winston said.

"Shouldn't we alert somebody else?" Kate asked.

"No time! Show us the way, Ace."

Ace nodded and ran out of the den. Everyone else immediately followed him. It was already late at night and they met nobody as they ventured down into the valley and toward a section of boulders on the outskirts that had once formed a boundary point between the eastern and western pack lands. Winston, Eve, Kate, and Garth each silently hoped and prayed that they weren't too late.

* * *

"What am I?" Lilly says as she lays on her back on the pathway outside, her legs wiggling in the air.

"A turtle?" I say distractedly. Right now, there's something haunting my thoughts other than Lilly's impersonations. I'm currently walking toward the back of my cave.

"It's no fun if you just guess turtle all the time," she says.

"You already said that you were a turtle," I say as I stop in front of the jagged rock. Yeah, that jagged rock.

"But what kind of turtle?"

"Um… a leatherback turtle?" My half-remembered biology classes to the rescue again! I pull back the jagged rock and grab hold of my Goblin mask.

"No, a turtle that's rolled on its back and can't get up, silly!"

"Oh… wow…" I look at my mask, study it, try to imprint every one of its pointy fangs and deep wrinkles into my brain.

I know Lilly is trying to get my mind off things and apparently, acting like a turtle is her signature Omega trick, but it's just got me thinking of my own talent for impersonating a green creature. If you can call it talent. Today, I was so sure about my powers, the glider, everything. I mean, I hadn't actually forsaken my vow not to become the Goblin again, but I was at least warming to the idea. But now, I just don't know.

I did some good in my recent return as the Goblin, but I did a lot of bad too. Sure, I saved Kate and Lilly's lives, but at what cost? I nearly robbed Kate of hers instead and, at this rate, the same goes for Lilly. I mean, I've now managed to harm her on all three occasions when I let an aspect of my Goblin persona come out in her general vicinity. And she's got me thinking. Maybe Philip Urich is all I'm meant to be. Maybe I was never meant to be the Green Goblin.

"Okay, what am I now," Lilly says. I don't even bother to turn around.

After all, it was a quirk of fate that I found Harry Osborn's new and improved Goblin gear. It was a complete accident that I fell into the vat of Goblin Formula. Actually, I was scared by a rat. Forget wolves, those things are terrifying! Really, why should I, of all people, have become the Green Goblin?

No, I can't come up with a good answer, either.

"You're not even watching!" Lilly! I forgot for a second that she was here!

I throw down my Goblin mask and slam the jagged rock against the opening as she walks up. Unfortunately, I manage to slam it on my fingers. I get them out but the pain is unbearable. But I have to bear it or else Lilly will notice something.

"Oh, sorry," I say, trying not to look pained, "I was thinking about something else. So what were you this time, a snapping turtle?"

"Snapping turtle? That's a good one!" Lilly says, apparently not noticing any pain on my face or the fact that I'm holding my fingers tight with my other hand. "I'm coming up with some new turtle impersonations for Garth. I want to have something to surprise him at our wedding."

Wedding? Doesn't sound like any weddings I've ever been to. Except maybe my cousin Jimmy's. That dame was a real battle-axe! "Yeah, that will… that will do it, alright."

"You have to see my last one again! It's a new one too, the 'running turtle!'"

"How does a turtle run?" Okay, now my curiosity is legitimately piqued.

"Wait and see," Lilly says as she runs back onto the pathway.

And I wait to see what she does, but then I catch sight of the big box next to me. I walk forward. "You know what, Lilly. It's getting kinda late. Maybe we should call it quits for tonight. You can show me tomorrow."

"Oh," Lilly says, obviously disappointed. "Okay, I guess I should get some sleep. Besides, Garth is probably wondering where I've gone to. And you know how he worries about me."

"Don't remind me!" I say as I point to my shoulder.

She laughs. "Bye, Phil." And then she's gone, leaving me to myself.

Yeah, I feel pretty bad about treating her like that, but I realize that night might be the only chance I get to work on my new glider. Using the screwdriver from Jenny's tool-kit, I get it open (High-security my foot!) and pull out all the parts.

Greenie was right, it is primitive. In fact, it's positively cave-man compared to my old one. But, since I'm a cave-man (at least a man in the cave, though I'm sure my intelligence and social graces leave something to be desired), I get to work, seeing what I can make it into.

It takes me the better part of the night to actually turn it into something and the sky is just turning red with the morning sun when I finally stop for the day. And I'm impressed; through some "creative" application of the materials, I actually managed to make something looking almost identical to my old glider. It's black-grey in color, it's got the jet engine, and it's also got the sleek curving wings with the ridges that can tilt upward or downward. And most importantly, it's got the large bat's-head on the front, with eyes that can glow red and yellow.

All in all, I successfully used those strange design plans in my head to build an actual glider! It almost makes me want to become the Green Goblin again! Almost…

I cover the new glider with the blanket and head off to dreamland, satisfied with a job well-done.

* * *

**Little does Philip know what's in store for him... or for the pack! So far, things have been intense, but that's nothing compared to what's to come! Because now things get really serious! Hotshot's got a new scheme and it means all of your favorite characters are going to be put into a whole new level of danger! And in the midst of it all, Lilly and Philip are going to have to determine what it means to be "More than an Omega"! **


	14. More than an Omega

**Hotshot's gang has gone on the offensive and now is the time when Jasper Park needs heroes. Of course, Jasper Park is also the new home to a genuine part-time super-hero - Philip Urich, better known to some as the Green Goblin! But with Phil still dedicated to hanging up his green-and-purple threads forever, will he rise to the occasion? How will he respond when he is called upon to become "More than an Omega"?**

* * *

I don't have a nightmare this time, but's that's probably because I get woken up about an hour after falling asleep. There's a big commotion outside. As I start to wake up, I debate whether I should actually go see or just go back to sleep.

I'm inclined to go back to sleep until I hear Sweets and Candy run past my cave.

"What do you think happened?" Sweets says.

"I don't know," Candy responds, "but I think it has something to do with Kate!"

Kate? Oh no, something might have happened! Hotshot's thugs might have attacked!

I jump up and hurry outside, running up the hill with the wolves. Of course, I'm not as fast as any of them, but I manage. When I'm up there, I see that all the wolves of both packs have gathered around Tony. Where's Winston and Eve? Unless… oh no!

I work my way through the crowd and stand just behind Lilly and Humphrey as Tony begins to talk.

He says, "Wolves of the united pack, I have very grave news to report to you all today. It seems that last night, Winston and Eve, their daughter Kate, and my son Garth went to investigate reports that Hotshot and his rogues were causing trouble along our borders. Ace was with them at the time."

Ace, who has been cut in several places and whose fur is quite disheveled, waves at the audience.

"It seems that they were attacked by Hotshot and his wolves and taken captive. Ace alone was sent back with a list of demands."

"A list of demands?" someone calls from the crowd, "Like what?"

"It was quite a long list," Tony says, "but, to sum it up quickly, they want control of the valley. Hotshot expects to have a position as Head Alpha and he wants his goons to be able to do whatever they want."

"We can't give them that!" somebody else yells.

"Of course we can't," Tony says, "and we won't, no matter the consequences. We will continue to defend our home."

"But we need to do something to rescue Kate and Winston and Eve!" Humphrey says.

"And we will, as soon as we can ascertain whether Hotshot is really keeping them alive and what would be the best course to pursue in their rescue."

"So we're just supposed to do nothing until you figure that out? They could be dead by that time!" Humphrey's angry, but I can see that he's on the verge of tears.

"Don't forget that my son is one of the captives too!" Tony yells back. "But if he were here, his answer would be the same. We must look first to the good of the pack! And we will do that! Alphas and Betas, go immediately on high-alert. Omegas, stay away from the border areas. Dismissed!"

The wolves begin to file away, including Humphrey, who does start to sob as he passes me. Lilly just sits there with her head down, those bangs falling over her eye again. Tony walks up and sits beside her.

"Young lady," he says, "I want you to know that while I've never felt you were an adequate mate for my son, as far as I'm concerned, you are already my daughter-in-law. Even if we never get Garth or your parents back, I intend to support you in any way I can. If you feel that it is too much to remain here by yourself, you can come and stay at my den in eastern pack territory. If you feel that you need anything else, you should not hesitate to ask. Do you understand?"

Lilly nods slowly, but without looking up. Tony suddenly turns his eyes from her to me, and I don't like the look he's giving me. I might actually prefer the way Eve usually looks at me. Yeah, the one where she looks like she's mentally dissecting me. Somehow, that seems less frightening than Tony's glare right now…

"As for you," he says, "I've never thought it was a good idea to allow a human to remain here as long as you did. Unlike Winston, I do not believe that there was any particular advantage in keeping you here until we learned the source of your special ability."

Special ability? He can't know about… Oh, he means the talking to wolves thing. Got it.

"I do not see what danger you could possibly do in the outside world knowing about us. I do not see you as a man of power and influence, nor do I think any human would believe what you have to say. Even so, our pack can defend itself from anything… except for a human within our own home. As far as I am concerned, the only danger you possess is that which comes from allowing you so close to our homes and families. And I am not about to put the pack in any more danger than is strictly necessary."

"Wait, you're not, like, giving me the boot, are you?"

Tony continues to bore into me with his cold eyes. "I expect you gone by tonight. If you are still here, I will have Hutch and Can-do escort you from the valley. Should you dare return, you shall be killed on sight."

Foul! That's just foul! But I'm in no position to argue!

"Do you understand?"

I nod anxiously. "Uh… uh-huh!"

"Good." Without another word, he gets up and walks away.

I'm barely done shivering when I hear Lilly begin to sob. As much as I'd like to think that it's because of my recent banishment, I know that in reality she's terrified for her parents and Garth. I sit down and put my arm around her.

She cries on my shoulder as I pat her back. She says, "I knew something was wrong when I got back to my den and Garth wasn't there. But I figured mom and dad were keeping him out late with his punishment! I should have known better!"

"Don't worry, Lilly," I say, "it'll be alright. Garth and your folks are tough; they'll survive. Everything's going to be okay."

Now if only I could see how! I know from being the Goblin that things tend to work out, even in strange ways, but for the life of me I can't figure out how this one's going to end well.

* * *

So here I am, and I really should be packing if I'm going to meet Tony's ultimatum. But I don't. No, I just lie here on top of my new glider. When I built the thing, I figured it might come in handy in case I ever ran into another situation where speed is a matter of life and death (like when I had to save Kate and Lilly) or if I ever needed to bang a quick getaway. Now it looks like it's going to be the latter of the two options.

But, the thing is, I can't seem to get the thing to work right. I followed all the instructions – not that there were many (It's not something from Mattel!) – in the box and what I can remember from the blueprints I saw that one time in Harry's warehouse. Admittedly, not the best do-it-yourself combination, but it's all that I got. I just finished tinkering with the thing, adding a few improvements here and there. Like, I got the idea for this killer screeching noise for my glider and I've finally managed to program it in – I think. Unfortunately, I'll never know because I can't get the thing to turn on!

Yes, I did put in an on-switch. I'm not a complete dork.

Okay, maybe I am a complete dork, but that on-switch should still work.

I know I should pack so I get up… and pull my Goblin mask out from behind the jagged rock. Hey, I just remembered what I wanted these tools for. It's kinda a moot point by now, but I suppose I should take the trouble to try to get the mask working again. I sit back down on the glider and start jabbing at the mask's circuits with the screwdriver. Hey, I never claimed to be a tech wiz! I could never precisely make out Harry's blueprints for the mask, anyway.

It took me the better part of the morning to calm Lilly down. Even when she seemed stable, I didn't want to leave her alone and I probably would have sat there all day with her, Tony's ultimatum or no. But Humphrey came and asked to talk with her in private, seeing as how they had both lost their mates today. And I may have become Lilly's closest confidant during these last few weeks, but this is one thing where I know Humphrey can relate to her better. She promised to help me pack later.

I'll never forget the way she said, "If only we could do something, anything, but we're only Omegas!" That broke my heart. And it does it again each time I remember. But, she's right. None of us are cut out to rescue Kate and Garth and Winston and Eve.

"What about you?" I hear my old friend's voice. By now, I've pretty much decided, whatever he is, to just ignore him.

But me, help? How wacked of an idea is that? Sure, I may have my Goblin gear and a glider, but I keep reviewing my track record in my head:

1. Dress up as the Goblin to scare Razor – I may have saved Kate from Razor, though I doubt she needed much saving, but I then nearly killed her with my Lunatic Laugh. Lilly later twisted her leg because I blew up part of the pathway with a pumpkin bomb – Fail.

2. I saved Lilly from Turk using my Lunatic Laugh and then built a glider from old car parts. Kinda cool, but it still gave Lilly a nightmare. Who knows what it would have done if she was awake. I don't want to think about that – Fail.

3. I punched Garth through a wall after having pushed Lilly to the ground, probably causing a world of bruises on both – Fail.

4. I scared off Hotshot and his goons with my Lunatic Laugh. Yeah, we saw how much good that did – Fail.

5. I've done stuff here and there when my powers have come back in, but there's no way to know whether my powers will work or not at any given time. Besides, it's not like any of those incidents were particularly spectacular – Fail.

Conclusion? I am a human Omega, not cut out to play with the big boys. No, the Green Goblin's gonna sit this one out, folks. Thanks for coming and so long. Besides, I can't even get the mask to work again. I throw it down and begin to do my actual packing.

And then I hear footsteps outside of my cave.

"I'm going, I'm going," I say. "You can tell Tony that I'll be out by nightfall."

"Philip?' It's Lilly. Miscalled that one!

"Can I talk to you?" she says. Her voice is small and weak.

"Uh, sure," I say. And I turn to her.

As she walks in, I get off my glider – yes, I already had the blanket over it – and go to meet her. I sit down in front of her. She looks me in the eyes.

"Can you keep a secret?" she says.

"Sure, I guess." That depends, whose secret identity are we talking about? Mine, yeah, but if I knew Spider-Man's I might just be tempted to give the information to Uncle Ben for the next big Bugle scoop.

I'm just joking. I think Uncle Ben already knows Spider-Man's identity.

But I digress. So, Lilly says, "Humphrey wants me to go with him to rescue Garth and my family."

"What? Is he out of his ever-lovin' mind or something?"

From the way she looks down toward her paws, I can tell that isn't the answer Lilly expected from me.

"I've said yes," she says in a whisper.

"But… but you don't even know where it is? You can't find the warehouse!"

Lilly's head jumps up. "What warehouse?"

"Their headquarters," I say. "At least, I think it was their headquarters. I saw them running toward it when I got lost in the woods after punching Garth. I told your mom all about it."

Lilly's jaw has now dropped. "Maybe… maybe you should also tell Tony. Maybe that would get him to send some Alphas in."

"Not after I tell him that Hotshot's got reinforcements. Your mother knew that too. And that's another reason you shouldn't go. Two Omegas are not going to be much of a match for a whole gang of thugs."

"That's why Ace is going with us. He feels like he's to blame for them getting captured so he's agreed to help us."  
"I see. And who else is making up this rag-tag band?"

"Just the three of us. Humphrey tried to get Salty, Shaky, and Mooch to come but they were too scared. So they're just giving us moral support."

Sounds like my way of handling most super-hero team-ups! At least, I did always show up and throw a few razor-bats around.

I say, "Okay, well, what about getting Hutch or Can-do or somebody else?"  
She shakes her head slowly. "No, all the Omegas are too scared and we're afraid to tell the Alphas and Betas because they might tell Tony. And he would definitely not let us go. I see your point, I don't think he'd do anything even if he knew Hotshot's headquarters."

At least I've convinced her of something.

Then she floors me. No, not literally. I mean, what she says next floors me. "That's why you should come. We were going to invite you anyway and if you already know the location and how many wolves there are–"

"Hold on! All I know is that Hotshot's bringing in some friends. I don't know if that's three friends or three hundred. Second point, if Ace is going with you shouldn't he already know the way."

"He says he didn't go the full way before Hotshot sent him back. But he thinks he can pick up on their scent. He also didn't want us to invite anybody else, saying it would be easier to sneak up on them, but we decided to go around to you and the other three anyway."

"Okay, point number three. Explain to me how I'm supposed to go with you, come back, and be ready to leave before nightfall? The sun's already getting to set. I mean, you heard Tony. I'll be killed if I return to the valley after sunset."

Lilly's visible eye is almost pleading with me now. "But, if we rescue my dad and mom, they'll allow you to stay and there will be nothing Tony can do about it."

She's got a point there… but who am I kidding? This is too much for me and, more importantly, too much for her.

"Come on, Lilly, we'd have no chance. Not without more Alphas. And if I went, I'd only end up messing things up. As you may have noticed, it's my special aptitude in whatever situation I am in to ensure that whatever I'm doing, it ends up as terrible for me as it possibly can."

"But, I'm going, and I have the same problem," she says quietly.

"Oh right. Because you're going to kill them all with your turtle impersonations. How will they ever be able to withstand that?"

I know it's a mistake as soon as I say it. Largely because of the sharp, stinging pain across my cheek. I should have seen it coming from the look of absolute rage in Lilly's eye (first time I've ever seen that look), but I don't have my Goblin reflexes or else I could have dodged her paw before she scratched me. As it is, I'm sent careening back. But I manage to recover before falling down completely. Like, that would have been sooooo embarrassing!

Lilly's jaw drops in horror. "Phil, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do it!"

"It's okay, I say. What's a little blood between friends. I'm sorry, too, I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean it. I wasn't thinking about how hard it's been for you with your whole family gone."

Hope appears again in Lilly's right eye, hope like I've never seen in her before. "So… you'll come?"

And now I feel like a real jerk. "No, Lilly, I can't. And I still don't think you should, either. I think this is definitely something we should leave to Tony and the Alphas."

I hate seeing that hope die in her. "But… but we have to do _something_!"

"But you said it yourself, we Omegas aren't meant for that stuff. We're meant to be funny and peaceful and not get into fights. That's how we roll. There's a reason why Canada's premier super hero team is Alpha Flight, not Omega Flight!"

Lilly gives me an adorable little snarl. At least, it would be adorable if she weren't, you know, mad again. "But you were the one who was saying that you wanted to be something more than an Omega. And I don't know about any other time in my life, but right now I want to be _something more_!"

"I want to be," I say, "but I'm not."

"You thought you could be."

"And I was wrong! You were right, I was wrong! We should leave all the problems to the world's jocks and Alphas! You and me weren't born to be heroes, Lilly."

"Heroes are made, Philip, not born!" Lilly takes a step back, amazed at the profundity of her own statement.

"Not from me, they're not," I say as I get up. "It's not inside of me!"

As I walk through my cave, I add, "I'm not special."

Tears fill Lilly's eye. I also notice a few drops falling through of her bangs. "Is there no way to get you to come?"

I shake my head and don't bother to look back. I know I won't like what I find.

"Then at least promise not to tell Tony."

Now I turn back and offer a smile. "Hey, I don't think Tony would want to hear anything from me! He wouldn't believe me if I tried to tell him!" But Lilly's expression doesn't change. "Okay, okay, I promise."

Lilly turns around and begins to slowly walk away. I turn back toward my cave. Just as she's about to disappear from my field of vision, she turns her head over her shoulder. "Then I guess this is the last time I'm ever going to see you. If I make it back, you'll be long gone and if I don't, well... So, goodbye, Philip. Goodbye forever. Try to have a good life back in the human world. Tell your Uncle Ben and Meredith hello from me. Even if I never met them, I feel like they're part of my family, the way you talk about them. I hope if you ever have to make the choice for them that I'm making for Garth and my family, then you'll understand."

"Wait," I say. And I walk over. I put my hand through her fur and push the bangs back from her left eye. "If this is the last time I ever see you, this is how I want to remember you. And anyway, thank you, Lilly, for being my friend." I feel like if I look at her eyes for much longer, I'll agree to something _reallllyyy boneheaded._ So I look away and walk back into the cave.

She's silent for a few moments, lost in thought I suppose, but then she adds, "I always knew you were special, Philip. I just hope that someday, you'll see it for yourself."

And then I'm alone. Alone as always.

* * *

**Is this where the story of Jasper Park's most famous wolves comes to a tragic end? Does this latest and greatest of our emerald idol's adventures end in defeat and resignation?** **The fate of Jasper Park hangs in the balance but it looks like its bizarre protector won't do a thing to help! Is it true that Philip Urich really was never meant to be a hero? Philip will finally have his answer, but to get it, he will have to learn what it truly means to be a heroic Green Goblin during "The Green Night of the Soul"!**


	15. The Green Night of the Soul

**Philip Urich has let everybody down again. The pack, Lilly, and most of all himself. But Phil's about to discover that he can't outrun his own demons so easily. No, if he wants to finally free himself of everything that terrorizes him, all his fear and self-doubt, he's going to have to overcome them once and for all during "The Green Night of the Soul"!**

* * *

I am haunted. Ever since Lilly left, I've been haunted. Haunted by the memories of all my past mistakes. Haunted by visions of all the past Goblins. I sit there, trying to pack my things, as Harry Osborn hovers over me.

"You made the right choice to run away, Phil," he says. "You could never have lived up to our noble legacy."

Ned Leeds, the Hobgoblin, stands on the other side of him. "Besides, Phil, you never had the aptitude for planning, the tactical foresight, that is needed to survive as one of us… Not that it did any of us that much good in the end."

"Oh, just shut up," I say, picking up a rock and tossing it at Harry. After several days of playing "throw the pine-cone" with Lilly, my aim is improving. But, despite landing it straight in Harry's stomach, it just goes right through him. Like, he is a ghost, after all.

Not that it could make him much worse looking than now. He's dressed in the old Green Goblin outfit – the decidedly dorkish one – but his Goblin mask has taken on the particular features of his face. Added to that, there's sweat pouring down the mask and his eyes are all crazoid; I think as a result of the poisoning from his batch of Goblin serum.

For some reason, all the Goblins appear to me in the way they died. Ned Leeds is standing over me cloaked in the orange and blue Hobgoblin outfit. But the yellow mask under his orange hood has its throat slit, with red blood flowing down. Pretty it ain't.

Now Demogoblin comes up to us. You know, the demon… goblin. Yeah, I don't get it either, but there he is. His body looks all out of whack, no doubt from that piece of debris which crushed him and ended his time on Earth – until now, apparently. Wait, how can a demon be crushed by debris? More importantly, how can a demon be a ghost? And… you know what, whatever.

"The sinners! The sinners must be punished!" Demogoblin howls. At first I think he's talking to me, but it looks like he's saying it to no one in particular. I guess he's just throwing it out there, like, as a general suggestion or something.

"Do you mind?" Ned says.

"Yeah, we're trying to have a conversation here," Harry shouts.

"Sorry," says the demon as he slithers back across the cave.

Harry turns back to me. "Phil, just because you might have stolen my suit and formula, that didn't make you the right man to use them. You never had what it takes to uphold the high standards which the Goblin position requires."

The man's got a point! When he's right, he's right! I just lucked into being the Green Goblin. There was never any real reason why it should have been me and not some other guy with more experience and more competence. I just got really lucky, that's all.

While this is going through my mind, I wonder why nobody has seconded my thoughts. So I look up and I see that Harry and Ned are just squirming uncomfortably. I can't figure out why, but then I see a green mist starting to form around them and, as they look at it, they both shiver and shake. Harry in particular seems decidedly unwell (more so than usual). A voice comes out of nowhere, directed at him. "And you should know something about failing to reach your predecessor's standards, shouldn't you, m'boy?"

In no time at all, the mist comes together as a figure, the figure of Norman Osborn, the original Green Goblin. He stands there, his face filled with sadistic glee. Out of his bloody chest juts the pulverized remains of his own Goblin Glider.

He looks down on me, his white fangs and yellow eyes glaring, even if there's no real moonlight for them to glare in. "The Green Goblin doesn't know death, he doesn't know fear, the only thing he knows is power! Hahaha! So much power! If you were a real man, Phil, and not a simpering buffoon, you'd embrace the power that is yours!"

"Now, now, Norman," says Bart Hamilton, suddenly walking over. "If young Philip is ever to achieve his full potential, he needs a firm but nurturing hand, not these scare-tactics of yours."

What? Bart who?

You remember Bart Hamilton! He was Harry's old shrink who ferreted the Goblin identity out of him and then tried to use it himself. Harry and Spider-Man defeated him and he got himself blown up with his own pumpkin bombs.

Still not ringing any bells? Oh well, not really all that memorable of a Goblin to begin with. But he's here anyway. He still bears the first-degree burns all over his face from those exploding toys of his.

"I don't care about your theories and your psychobabble, Hamilton! What matters is that Phil has been chosen to take up my august personage and yet he sits here whining and crying because some weak and useless females got hurt due to his actions. If he were anything like me, he would have just thrown them off the nearest bridge the moment the opportunity presented itself."

I jump to my feet. "Don't you talk about Lilly and Kate like that!"

Norman smiles evilly as I say that. "Now that's the spirit! I thought I caught a trace of homicidal rage in your eye! Hahahaha!"

Ned puts an orange-gloved hand on my shoulder. "Don't give in to impetuosity, Phil. That lack of caution will just get you killed!"

"The orange man's right," I say, despite the fact that I know these guys are all just in my head (probably). "I'm not cut out to be the Goblin anymore. I don't have the strategic planning or the reckless insanity to make it work! I don't have my powers, either, and without them I'm just another average Joe who has no place in the world of men who fly on gliders."

Bart now walks up beside me. "Philip, I think you and I both know that you are just trying to avoid taking responsibility for your feelings of guilt and inadequacy by trying to convince yourself that you are completely powerless to alter the outcome of events."

"I do not need to be psycho-analyzed by a man who blew himself up with his own jack-o'-lanterns!" I yell.

"Choosing to insult another rather than to debate their findings on the merits of those findings is a childish way of displacing the blame for your own failures onto an outside agent, Philip."

I look at him in angry confusion. "What does that noise even mean?"

"It means that you must learn to accept yourself as a rational actor with control over his own destiny before you can begin to understand your particular life-situation and from thence grow to become a more fulfilled social being with regards to environment of which you find yourself a part."

My face is just… blank. Just… blank. "I have no idea what you just said."

Bart starts to open his mouth again but Norman walks over and slugs him in his blown-up face, which completely turns to ash.

"Much obliged," I say.

"Don't mention it," Norman responds, "that prattling simpleton was getting on all our nerves."

"A feat only matched by Spider-Man," Ned remarks.

Norman flies into a rage and shoots an electric finger at Ned, who ducks out of the way. Bart just stands there, his arms crossed, apparently not too happy about his new-found headlessness.

I watch Norman leap for Ned, shouting "Kill the Spider!" the whole while. Harry and Demogoblin try to hold him back, without much success, as Ned tries to shrink into the cave walls. I think for a while.

Harry's right; I never could live up to the standards which are expected of a Goblin, good or evil.

Ned's right; I never was a master-planner. I survived mostly on luck, with a little bit of quick thinking here and there. But the thing about luck is, eventually, it runs out.

Norman's right; I never had the courage to embrace the power that comes from being the Green Goblin. But what good is all that power if you can't even use it right?

Bart's right; I do feel guilty and inadequate. But that's only because I'm such a wimp. Can I help it if I am the world's biggest dork?

Demogoblin's ri– Okay, I have no idea what Demogoblin was yammering about with his "sinners" crack. Still, four out of five ain't… good?

I really was never cut out to be the Green Goblin at all. I guess, for once I made the right choice when I told Lilly that I couldn't go on her rescue mission. Huh, it's been a few hours. I wonder how she's doing by now.

"Dead," Harry says, having finally given up trying to control his father, who is now running around the cave chasing Ned. "That's the most likely outcome, isn't it? Dead or worse than dead."

"The sinners must all burn!" Demogoblin shouts. "They must burn in the pits of their own filth!"

"Like you said, Phil," Harry says, "nobody who doesn't have our powers could ever survive that suicide mission. So, obviously, she's dead by now. Aren't you glad you didn't go? At least your life will be spared."

"Death to the sinners!" Demongoblin rambles. "They must all die!"

"Shut up!" Harry shouts to him. "I'm trying to make a point here, and it would really help if you didn't keep babbling about sinners and fire! Go find Bart a new head or something!"

Demogoblin, apparently not liking the idea of being chastised (Who can blame him?), sulks away.

"My life?" I say. "But is it worth it if Lilly doesn't survive?"

"Her life doesn't matter!" Norman shouts to me. He's now caught Ned and is lifting him up by the neck. (Guess somebody's tactical planning isn't all it's cracked up to be!) "She is meaningless to you! Your own survival is all that matters!"

"She is not meaningless!" I shout.

"Clearly, she showed a certain lack of foresight," Ned manages to choke out. "Why should you waste your time on those who will only get themselves killed in the end?"

"That's right," Harry says, "when has the Goblin ever cared about others? We're all in this for our own benefit! Hahaha!"

"That's not true!" I say. "You, Harry, didn't you love Liz and Normie? Ned, didn't you love Betty?"

Harry and Ned seem uncomfortable (Ned not least of all because he still has Norman's hand around his neck) and slowly they nod in confirmation.

"But… you cannot have a family or friends or another life when you are the Goblin," Ned chokes out. "That was our mistake."

Norman snaps his neck… and then does it again… and again, completely baffled by the fact that, no matter how many times he does it, Ned doesn't die.

"They were all better off without us," Harry said. "And your friends will be better off without you."

"You just said they'd all be dead," I say.

"Actually, I said Lilly would be dead. The others will probably just be brutalized until they have been completely destroyed both physically and mentally, finally giving into the sweet relief of death only after many years of crippling slavery under their new overlords."

"And how is that better, exactly?"

Harry glares at Norman. "I don't know, why don't you ask my dad? It was his main parenting style for my whole life! Without it, I would not be dead today."

Norman doesn't even look at him. "You always were too weak to be my heir. You and Philip both."

"No, I'm sure Lilly's going to be alright," I say. "I mean, Humphrey and Ace… they wouldn't actually let her get hurt."

"It's not their choice!" Norman shouts. "To the victor goes the spoils! And the victor is the one with the most power! Woe to the conquered!"

Finally, frustrated with Ned's refusal to die a second time, he throws him into one of the cave walls, which Ned passes straight through.

"But Kate and Eve and Garth?"

"They've lost already. They have no more power than those simpering Omegas do!"

"No!" I shout, putting my head into my hands. "It can't be! Lilly can't be dead! She just can't!"

"Now, Philip," Bart says. Oh great, he's regrown his head. Now my night is perfect. "This is a textbook example of trying to find any excuse, no matter how illogical, to act as though your fears are unjustified, in some vain hope to negate all the anxiety and guilt you feel over them. And I think it is obvious that this will only cause you to spiral further downward in a whirlwind of fear and anger until you destroy yourself emotionally, always knowing full-well that you had the power to save your loved ones and yet were too afraid to use it."

"Just shut up! All of you shut up!" I shout.

Norman now approaches me. "This is the nature of being the Green Goblin, m'boy. Did you really believe that there could be such a thing as a heroic Green Goblin? Impossible. As we told you before–"

And now they all join in for the chorus. "Death comes to all who adopt the mantle of the Green Goblin!"

Death comes to all who adopt the mantle of the Green Goblin. That phrase rings through my head again and again. I've heard it before from them, several times in fact, but I always thought they were just talking about _me_! I learned to live with that, managed to convince myself that I'd be the Goblin who would beat the odds. But I never considered that they might actually be talking about my friends and family! Oh man, this is just foul!

"That is enough!"

I look up. All the Goblins, even Norman, tremble in fear at the booming voice which has just said that. And then I see my old buddy, the green woodsman. He enters the cave and pushes past all the ghosts, who seem only too glad to get out of his way.

But now he looks different. He's not dressed like a lumberjack, no. Now he's got these fine garments all green and gold. And when I say garments, I say it because these things are, like, medieval. He looks like he just stepped out of the local Renaissance Fair. And that axe in his hand is no woodsman's toy any longer. No, now it's a giant, two-headed, battle axe, which he carries over his shoulder as if it was nothing.

But that, somehow, is far from the strangest thing. No, now he's green. I mean, not just green-clothed, but actually green! His skin is green, his hair is green, his eyes are green (And not just the irises!), his shining teeth are green. He is green.

And suddenly, a thought hits me. I dive for my duffle bag and rummage around until I reach the bottom. From all the way down there, I pull out this book I was supposed to read for a course I'm taking in college when I get back. It's called _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_.

"This, this is you!" I say, pointing to the picture of, like, a large green knight on the cover.

"It is not a particularly accurate rendition," the Green Knight says, "but if that is what makes the connection for you, then so be it. Please, call me Bertilak."

I nod. "What… what are you doing here?"

"I grew tired of listening to these fools arguing amongst themselves."

"No… I mean, why are you haunting… me? Are you the real Green Knight, is there really a Green Knight, or are you just another thing in my head?"

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes to all."

"That doesn't make any sense. Are you real or an illusion?"

"Even an illusion can have some truth to it. But I'm not here to discuss that. Tell me, Green Goblin, do you really intend to make your exit here?"

"I'm the only true Green Goblin here!" Norman shouts with a look of mad fury in his eyes.

Bertilak gives him a stern glare.

"Sorry," Norman says quietly.

Bertilak turns back to me. "I believe I was asking you the question."

"Well, duh!" I say. "I'm not even the Green Goblin anymore."

"You have the costume."

"Yeah…"

"You have the weapons."

"Yeah, but…

"You have the glider."

"Maybe, if I could get it to work, but I don't have the powers!"

He laughs, a laugh so frightening it makes Norman's seem normal. "Who has told you that you do not have your powers? Have you not used them several times already?"

"Yeah but… that hardly counts. I mean, I can make them turn on when I want them to. They're just kind of random."

"How do you know you can't turn them on? Have you ever really tried?"

"Duh! Of course I've tried. I've tried several times. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't."

He throws down his axe and claps his hands together. "Ah! You see? Sometimes it has worked for you and tonight may be one of those times!"

"It may be," I say, "but it probably isn't. I don't feel anything coming in."

"Did you ever until the very moment when they returned?"

"No, not really. But… but you would know, wouldn't you? After all, you told me I'd be able to lift that box. You're the one who told me I'd be able to make that car-glider. You're the one who's always been so insistent that I already have everything I need already."

He nods. "That I am. But I will not tell you whether your powers will come in tonight."

"Why not?"

"They're your powers. I cannot always be responsible for them."

I'm about ready to hurl the book at his head (I'm sure it'd go right through) when he up and changes the subject. That might normally just cause me to throw the book harder, but what he says stops me in my tracks. "Even without your powers, why not go?"

"Are you the crazy one now?" I shout. "If I went, I'd be killed!"

"That is a distinct possibility," he says with a smile.

A distinct possibility? A distinct possibility? Oh, it's just like the chance that I might catch the puck at a Ranger's game. If it happens, it happens, am I right?

"You are correct."

Ah! Stop listening to my narration! How am I supposed to think when you do that?

"Now, Philip," Bart says, "you're mental outbursts suggest a certain obsession with privacy, possibly stemming from an unhealthy need to maintain absolute control or perhaps from a strange desire to prevent people from discovering the real you."

I forgot, they're all in my head, so they can all read my mind! I start talking again to get them to stop it. "What would be the point if I were to just glide in there to my death? Really, what would I gain by getting myself killed?"

"What would you gain by staying here, by leaving the valley?" Bertilak says.

"Huh?"

"If you just run away, will you be able to live with yourself? Can you stomach the idea that your last glance of Lilly's tearful eyes will haunt your dreams? Or withstand the constant barrage you shall attack yourself with, all consisting of one question – Did she survive? With that always in your mind, always stalking you in forum, field, and fane, is that the type of life you would enjoy leading?"

I doesn't take me long to answer the question. "No!"

"Then, why not do your utmost, when it's the utmost you can do, to try and save her? You may die – but a good death is always better than a wasted life. You might even be able to save her and get killed at the same time."

"Thank you for that comforting thought!" I still think he's crazy.

He sighs, apparently feeling like his message isn't getting through. "Philip, what are you gaining by running away? Your life, yes. But you would never be happy again, never joyful. Philip, all that extra time you might gain is worthless if you have nothing to fill it with. And, were you do die in the next two seconds, t'would be better than that, if you made those seconds worth living. It isn't the amount of time you live that determines the length of your life, it's what you do in the time you live to make it long."

I shake my head. "So what you're saying is, if I save Lilly, I'll be happy for the rest of my life. Just like that."

"No, Philip, that is not what I am saying."

I throw up my hands. "Then, what are you saying?"

He walks over to me and, to my surprise, puts a hand on my shoulder. "Would you ever be happy just being Philip Urich after what you have seen, what you have done? Wouldn't some part of you always long to be the Green Goblin again? Doesn't some part of you already long to be the Green Goblin?"

Me, long to be the Green Goblin? Hardly! I don't long for anything! Nothing at– Ah, who am I kidding? He's absolutely right. Why did I keep picking at this mask, building this glider, honing my skills (such as they are) if not because, in the back of my mind, I wanted nothing quite so much as to be the Green Goblin once again? I tried to lie to myself, tried to pretend like it all had some other purpose or was just some hobby. But the truth is, a part of me never stopped being the Green Goblin. Somewhere, deep inside this average, ordinary college student, the Green Goblin lives on. And he's just waiting for the opportunity to rise again.

I want it.

More than anything else in my life, I want it.

I want to be the Green Goblin!

Bertilak nods. "Now you understand."

I nod as well. "Now I understand."

But then something occurs to me. "But I was never meant to be the _Green Goblin_ in the first place!"

"Of course you weren't!" Norman yells.

"It's a family business, Phil," Harry adds. "An Osborn business. Dad, me, and I hoped Normie someday. That's it."

Ned, Bart, and Demogoblin line up opposite them.

"What about us," Ned shouts. "Are we, who so improved upon the Goblin legacy, not Goblins?"

"This speaks to a deep-seated inability to recognize the contributions of others," Bart says, "particularly when they dim one's own misplaced sense of greatness. Jealousy indeed is a green-skinned monster."

"Death to all sinners!" Demogoblin hollers. "Death, I say!"

"Please," Norman says. "Barton Hamilton, who died in his first battle with Spider-Man. Ned Leeds, who was only a dupe for that imposter Hobgoblin, and Demogoblin, who owes his very existence to that pathetic Mackendale. You dare call yourselves real Goblins? Hahahaha!"

"Enough!" Bertilak shouts, causing the rest to immediately simmer down and rush to the other side of the cave.

"But, they got a point," I say to Bertilak. "I wasn't supposed to be the person who would use all of Harry's new Goblin gear. That was Harry himself! So, why should it have been me? Why should it be me?"

Bertilak's grin gets big and toothy, like how I hate. "Because, my friend, you were the one who fell into the vat of Goblin Formula! You were the one who found the mask! Nobody else did that, so the new Green Goblin had to be you!"

I put my head in my hands again. I'm getting the feeling that my point isn't getting across. "I know, but why did I have to be the one who got covered in those chemicals? Why did I have to be the one who tried out the mask? What was so special about me that it had to be me and not some other random Joe?"

Bertilak chuckles a little. (I'm glad _he's_ amused! Nobody else is!) "It doesn't matter that somebody else could have found the Goblin's lair before you. It doesn't matter that they could have used the serum or the mask. What matters is that they did not! You were the first! It doesn't matter who should have been the one to find them, the one to be bathed in the serum, the one to use the mask! What matters is that_ you _were the one who actually did all those things! And because it was you, you should be the Green Goblin now!"

I feel heartened by Bertilak's words. And apparently, all of the Goblins find his argument convincing because, one by one, they disappear as he speaks. Norman is the last to go, glaring defiantly at me, but even he can't stay forever. He finally goes when I say those five magic words in my heart; I am the Green Goblin.

"But, Green Goblin, I will say this," Bertilak says. "There is a destiny which runs through the course of human – and wolven – affairs. There is a meaning and a purpose. We do not always need to know what that meaning and that purpose is, but we need to always remember that it is there. I am not saying this to say that you should disregard what I have said before, that it didn't matter whether you were supposed to be the Goblin or not. No, what I am saying is, that anyone could have found the Goblin lair, but you were the one who did. Because you did, it was always meant to be."

And now he's got my head spinning.

"You shall understand in time."

I hope so! 'Cause now I can't make out, like, a single word of it.

"So what do you think?" he asks me, though I'm sure he already knows the answer.

I respond truthfully. "I don't know. It makes… it kinda makes sense… but I just don't know! Maybe the Green Goblin isn't meant to be a hero."

"He is because you have made him one, Philip," Bertilak says. "That too you shall understand in time." And then, suddenly, he's gone.

Now I sit in darkness, more confused than before. I know now that the Goblin is still inside of me, that he's a part of me now. But, I still don't feel up to the task of _being _him. I don't know what to do. So I do the natural thing; I get back to work on my glider.

Seriously, even if I don't become the Goblin again, the thing'll still come in handy to get around. It's much better than a car!

But I still can't get the thing to work. Out of frustration, I decide to try something different. I pick up my mask again and begin pounding away at the circuitry. I don't know how long I do it for, as I'm lost in thought and am not really paying attention (Always the best policy when repairing priceless electronics!), so I'm completely surprised when the thing begins to spark. Naturally, not wanting to catch on fire, I throw the mask to the ground, where it lands with the eyes pointing toward the wall. And then I'm surprised by what I see.

Out of my mask, out of those yellow eyes, comes a light, projecting… something… right in front of the wall. Not on the wall, but right in front of it. The eerie blackness behind makes the figure – yes, I can make out that it's a figure now – really stand out as it slowly shapes itself into an image. That image is of a thin man, very tall, with a short hair-cut. He's young, only about thirty or so but his face has got a lot of wrinkles and his eyes have become very sullen, like something really aged him. (I bet I can guess what that was!) A large widow's peak seems to sit on his head like a hood, separating his light skin from the corn-rolls of alternating brown and red hair on top of his head. His suit completes the ensemble. It combines a yellow tweed jacket with – yuck! – an olive green bow-tie. There's only one person this could be. Only one person this side of sixty-two could be square enough to dress in that get-up; Harry Osborn.

But this isn't the Harry Osborn I saw earlier, wearing his lame-o costume and fatally high on his toxic serum. No, this was someone who seemed, if not all together well, at least reasonably sane. So, what's he doing in my Goblin mask? Didn't leave a note to himself in there, did he? Come to think of it, he was crazy enough, so he probably would.

"You there," he says.

Who me? Is he actually talking to me?

"Yes, I'm talking to you. You're the person who's been using all of my Goblin equipment, aren't you?"

Yep, he's definitely talking to me.

"Harry, I really didn't mean to or anything," I say, as apologetically as I can. "I just was in your warehouse trying to save my Uncle Ben when all of a sudden–"

"I don't know how you got possession of my equipment, but I can also safely assume that you have exposed yourself to my improved Goblin Formula as well."

He isn't one for long-winded explanations, is he? If he'd just listen to what I'm trying to tell him, maybe he wouldn't have to assume anything!

"I don't have to actually assume anything, because the mask would not work for you otherwise. I programmed it to scan for the presence of the new serum and only work for someone who had that serum – and that particular version – in their body."

"Look, Harr, what I'm trying to tell you is that it was an accident! I really didn't mean to take any of your stuff but I just–"

"How you obtained my equipment is really of no consequence. What matters is that you have been using it, apparently for some time, and now it doesn't work anymore!"

"Bingo! You're right on the money there!"

"You're probably now trying to fix it so that your powers can be restored."

"I think we have a winner! You just keep getting it right, old man!"

"By now, you're amazed at how much I know. The reason I am able to know so much is that I programmed it that way."

"Programmed it that way? But Harry, the mask's electric shocker got destroyed when I totaled a sentinel!"

"However you destroyed the circuitry that causes the electric blast is not important. What is important is that I designed that circuitry to become particularly susceptible to destruction after the user reached a certain level of proficiency."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"I did it because I could not be sure who would use the Goblin identity after my death and for what purposes they would use it for."

"Trust me, Harr, for the best! I used it to become a hero!" I hope if I tell him that, he won't be too mad at me. One angry undead Harry Osborn is enough for one day.

"I sincerely hope that you have used the identity, against what history and reputation would suggest, to become a hero. Let me explain. It was always my dream to use the Goblin identity in a heroic capacity, as a way of atoning for my father's crimes and restoring the Osborn name. Ultimately, I failed, for it seems that I will not be able to escape this feud my father started between the Osborns and their nemesis, Spider-Man. But you, whoever you are, have a better chance."

"I do! I mean, I did! Until the mask gave out, that is…"

"I don't know who you are, or your reasons for adopting my identity, but I am almost certain that you cannot be related to me. You cannot be an Osborn."

"You're right about that!" Well, he is.

"But believe me. I designed this Goblin suit and this serum with one intention; that it would be the property of a hero. That is the reason for why it requires such a painful form of operation, why the serum only works through that electric shock, and why the suit has so many enhancements to protect someone generally untrained for combat. The power of the Green Goblin was too much for any of us to possess; me, my father, Hamilton. That's why I wanted to prevent another villain from using it. In this way, because the powers work only with the mask and the activation process is so painful, I figured that only someone who was selfless enough to endure that pain for the greater good would be willing to become the new Goblin. And only that person would try so hard to reclaim those powers as to activate this message. For someone with less noble ends, there are surely easier and more beneficial ways to gain power. But for a person who always wanted to do good with their life but was never given the chance – a person like me – this could be the opportunity of a lifetime."

Activate… the message? I was supposed to activate this message? This means, for one, that Harry isn't actually here. He must have recorded a general message into the mask before he died (and I thought he might had just done something like program his consciousness into the mask – you know, like a normal super villain would do) for his successor. What's more, he intended that successor to be both an average Joe and a super-hero.

Of course, this still doesn't change the fact I was trying to make intelligent conversation with a glorified video tape. I must be the world's biggest dork!

Holo-Harry continues, "You're probably wondering by now if this message's appearance means the circuitry in the mask can be reactivated. It is true that most of the mask's electronics should still work but I intentionally designed the electrocution mechanism to be unrepairable."

Oh, that's good news…

"I have, however, created another way for you to get your powers."

Killer! How? What mechanism do I have to use?

"There is nothing which you can do using the electronics to activate it. There is no replacement power source. But your powers can still be accessed. You've probably noticed it by now, that at times of extreme stress or danger or emotion, your powers have begun to return. This was my safeguard, designed into the formula itself. Again, it is another factor which makes this version useless to anyone but a hero, because you will usually have to put yourself in danger to activate it. However, as you become more experienced, you shall, I do not doubt, become better able to channel the emotions which shall allow you to use your powers."

Well, that's a let down. So this was intentional, this coming and going thing. Thanks for that, Harr. And I thought I was building such a good rapport with the pre-recorded message, too!

"However, if you continue to listen, I will tell you how to reactivate the remaining electronics in your Goblin mask and how to construct new weapons and a new glider. As you have gotten this far, I believe that I can place my trust in you with these secrets. You shall not find them anywhere else. I have greatly improved them from what my father and the Hobgoblin are using, so they should give you an edge against any other claimants to my legacy."

Just what I needed! Even without being able to get my powers back, this is good news! Harry, lead on!

Over the next few hours, I get the basics of mask and glider design and use it to fix the problems I've been having with both. I mean, the answers are soooo obvious! I'd tell you what it is, but these are trade secrets, for Goblins only!

With my mask, after some effort, I am able to repair most of the mechanics and get the computer inside it working again. Some things, like my voice modulator and my Goblin skates, still won't work, but overall I've managed to get the whole mask up and running. I tighten in the eyes; there was just enough of the old red ones left for me to salvage the mini-video image receiver and add it to my new yellow lenses. The things I salvaged form the camper (Which I did remember to take out of the proto-glider before crashing it into a lake, thank you very much!) actually come in useful as I use the video-recorder as my glider cam and can now play some slammin' tunes while I soar through the air!

Pretty cool, huh?

And then, as I return _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_ to my duffle bag, I hit something. Hey, it's my old game-console controller! It's not just any controller, though. No, this is what I used to control my old glider when I was out of costume. It's how I brought my costume and glider with me when I needed to go out as myself. I decide, on a whim, to program my new glider to follow it. Soon, that's ready as well.

Okay, now I'm done. Harry has said his peace and has disappeared back into the mask and I am, once again, alone. So, what the heck am I supposed to do now?

Everything's working again. Everything's working. But I still can't use my powers on command. And without them, I don't know if I can bear to put that mask back on and get back on the glider.

I feel what I usually feel when contemplating Goblin outings; fear. But this is new. I always was afraid for my life before, but now I'm equally if not more afraid that my powers won't work and that I won't get to Lilly and the others in time. For the first time, I'm actually afraid of failure.

Lilly. I owe her so much that I can't even think of failing. Somehow, she has become so important to me, important in a way nobody else ever really was. I guess I even actually love her. I don't mean, like, that I'm in love with her. No, that would just be weird. I mean, what type of children would that even produce? Half-wolf, half-goblin? That is not a pleasant mental image. But, I love her like a sister I never knew I had. I have an older brother, but we were never very close, since he was the one who always succeeded at everything and I was always the disappointment of the family. Not unlike Kate and Lilly, though they have a relationship I could never have with my brother. But she understands me in a way only Uncle Ben and Merry ever really did, and perhaps even in a different way than them. Perhaps more than anyone, she knows what it's actually like to be me. Uncle Ben always saw the potential in me, and Merry always believed I was special, but Lilly actually knows how hard it is to live up to expectations and to always feel like you're failing. That's something I never really been able to share with anyone before. That's something special.

I feel my cheek. The accelerated healing factor has left no sign of the earlier scratch marks (good to know that that's a power that always works), but I still think back to how upset Lilly was. And I wasn't exactly the best friend to her then. I begin thinking again about what might happen to her.

But maybe she'll be alright. I mean, Ace is with her. I think he might be a bit more cautious this time. I mean, he knew that he was taking two Omegas by themselves into an extremely dangerous situation. I mean, he requested that they keep it between the three of them, for crying out loud! He must have a plan.

Wait a second, why would he want to keep it just between the three of them? True, Lilly said that he thought it would be easier to sneak up on Hotshot's headquarters but he must know that there are more than just three goons in Hotshot's squad if he was captured. And I could almost believe that act about him not realizing Humphrey and Lilly are Omegas but after being so badly injured, he's got to know what he's up against and that he needs someone he's actually seen, you know, fight!

And then there was the fact that he did not seem too concerned about the main Alphas of both packs being captured. Thinking back even further, he wasn't concerned at all about Kate nearly being killed. And he apparently never mentioned the increase in the bad guys' numbers to Tony, who still acts like it's only three he's going up against. And how did Razor know Kate was in the valley on the night of the Moonlight Howling and not Garth? Why did Ace not seem concerned about vouching for me after that happened, unless it was because I was also vouching for him? And how did Kate and Garth and Winston and Eve all get lured out of the safety of the valley after I had told them about Hotshot's new threats?

As I look out into the open air, my face solemn, I realize that there can only be one answer. Ace has been on Hotshot's side the whole time! And now I know that it may already be too late. The real danger for Lilly wouldn't begin if and when she and Humphrey reached Hotshot's hideout. No, it began the moment they set out with Ace! The chances that she's dead have now gone straight through the roof.

But, as the man says, where there's life, there's hope. And I'm still alive, and there's still a chance that she's alive. But, every second that passes, that chance gets slimmer and slimmer. If there is any possibility of Lilly having survived, I can't leave her out there to face certain death when there is no hope of escape.

I… just… can't!

I pull back that jagged rock once again and bring out my Goblin suit. As I don it, piece by piece, I think about what the Green Knight said. I never used to believe in destiny, but now I find that, more and more, it's the only way I can explain this crazy life I've started to lead – or, I've been chosen to lead. I don't know how and I don't know why, but I know this; I was meant to be the Green Goblin. I always used to ask myself, if the Green Goblin was what I did or if the Green Goblin was actually who I am. Tonight, I have my answer. I take up my Goblin mask and place it upon my head, completing my transformation. Even if I never regain my powers, there's no giving up or quitting this time. Powers or no powers, nothing changes the fact that this is a part of me – the best part of me. Whatever happens tonight, whatever happens for the rest of my life, I know that this is what I want, this is what I do, this is who I am. My name is Philip Urich and I am the Green Goblin!

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

Without a second to lose, I jump aboard my Goblin Glider. My mask is working near-perfectly, as I am able to use it to send the signal that makes the glider power up. The vents, one on each wing, release air that pushes the glider upwards as the engine prepares to bellow smoke that will send me flying into the open night. I look at both the view through my lenses (managed to fix the color problem, too) and that of the glider-cam. Everything looks good. Everything's in place. Time for takeoff. Let's go green!

Ooh, that's a great battle-cry! See, I knew I had it in me somewhere.

Just as I'm about to launch into the wild blue (black?) yonder, I hear two voices. The sensors in my Goblin ears are able to pick up on them while they're still a way off. And I can tell it's Hutch and Can-do.

"It looks like Phil's ignored Tony's orders," Hutch says. "We'll have to clear him out."

"I knew there was going to be trouble," Can-do responds. "The Omegas say he's been talking to himself all night. I always knew there was something wrong with him. Now, I'm just glad we get to kick him out of our valley forever."

Oh, you're in for a big surprise, bucko!

The glider's ready so, without further ado, I blast into the night, on a ride that makes Space Mountain seem like the kiddy carts. As I soar, I see Hutch and Can-do staring up at me in utter disbelief.

"Kick me out, will you?" I shout. "I don't think so. Hahahahahahahaha!"

I look down just long enough to see Can-do faint.

I am free! Free as a bird! I had forgotten what that saying meant – until now! I'm once again free to feel the splashing wind! Free again to ride the wild night! Free again to laugh like a lunatic and strike terror into the hearts of…well, whatever!

Hold on, Lilly! Because this rescue is coming courtesy of the Green Goblin!

Hahahahahahaha!

* * *

**It's not an illusion, true believers, it's finally here! The Most Maniacal Super Hero of All glides again! You won't want to miss when the Green Goblin makes his triumphant return in our most-action packed issue yet! It's all next time, and you definitely won't want to miss what could be the Green Goblin's finest hour!**


	16. The Goblin Age Restored

**It's finally here! The Most Maniacal Super Hero of All glides again! It all comes together as the world's strangest super-hero takes flight once more and prepares to utilize all of his nasty tricks against the fiends holding his friends hostage. With the mad screetching of his Goblin Glider and the evil reverberations of his Lunatic Laugh, the Green Goblin is ready to ring in "The Goblin Age Restored"!**

**Author's Note: The paragraphs centered and in italics are the wolves' perspective. Otherwise, this chapter is entirely from Philip's perspective. I'm not really that happy with this, but it was the best way I could give their reactions to the big battle "in real time" and without having to do another whole chapter rehashing the same exact thing. I just hope it isn't too much of a pain to read; I do think it's necessary to get the full effect and I promise that this is the only time I'm doing this.**

* * *

Hotshot smiled in expectation as the doors to the warehouse opened. He looked to his captives, Winston, Eve, Kate and Garth, cherishing what he knew would be their pained and upset reactions. Each of them had been lined up against the far wall. Hotshot had had shock-collars placed around their necks, so that they could not escape no matter how much they wanted to. Near him was the controller, which he could use to deliver painful electric shocks at any time.

Turk and Razor waited with equal excitement. Finally, through the doors came Ace, leading Humphrey and Lilly behind him. They were surrounded by wolves on all sides, large wolves who had obviously seen many battles. Ace smiled with pride.

"Lilly! Humphrey!" screamed the four Alpha wolves, each filled with equal parts shock and horror.

"I got 'em! I got 'em! Didn't I tell you I would?" Ace barks.

"Excellent," Hotshot said. "If you keep up like this, Ace, a promotion could be in your future. I always like to have at least one vice-president I can trust!"

Turk and Razor fidgeted uncomfortable under Hotshot's disapproving gaze.

"How could you do this, Ace?" Humphrey said. "I thought we were buds!"

"Me, be buds with an Omega? Please!" Ace snapped back. "The only reason I pretended was to try and get in Winston and Eve's good graces. But then a better opportunity for advancement came along!"

"What's in this for you, Ace?" Winston called out. "What would make you betray your own pack?"

"Because, Hotshot promised me that, when he takes over the valley, I'm going to be the new chief of the western pack – making sure all my friends and family listen to his… polite suggestions."

Winston shook his head in disgust. "Your mother and father would be so ashamed. They had such high hopes for you, Ace."

Ace laughed. "My mother and father? You dare bring them into this? They never would have approved of an Alpha marrying an Omega! As far as I'm concerned, I'm honoring their memory much more than you are!"

"Collar them and lead them over," Hotshot said to his goons. They did as asked.

The Alphas made much fuss over Lilly and Humphrey when they arrived, all worried that they had been harmed. When it was discovered that they had not been and so were safe for the time being, there was a general sigh of relief. But it was soon replaced by the new anxiety of what would happen to the two Omegas as well as the four Alphas.

"Hotshot, if you lay a paw on either of my babies," Eve said with a snarl, "I'll tear every black strand of fur off your body and shove them all down your throat!"

Hotshot did not answer, but merely pushed a button on his controller. Eve fell to the ground as a terrible electric shock went through her body.

"Mom!" Kate and Lilly yelled at the same time, running over to help her up.

"I'm okay, dears," Eve said, forcing herself to her feet. "It's going to take more than a little shock to stop me."

Hotshot pushed the button again, causing Eve to fall back to the ground in pain.

"Stop this!" Winston yelled. "There is no reason to treat her like this. If you want to hold me, fine, but let my family go!"

"Eh, no," Hotshot responded.

Garth now stepped beside him. "What do you hope to achieve, anyway? Dad will never surrender the valley to you, not even to save me! Neither will Hutch or Can-do or anyone else!"

"I think you underestimate how much your packs seem to care about you," Hotshot said. "They'll come through in the end. If not, now that they're pack-unifying marriage won't happen, they'll just go to war again and then I can swoop in and pick up the pieces. It's what we in business call a win-win proposition."

Then he looks to Lilly and then to Turk. Lilly shivers as Turk leers at her.

"I almost forgot. Turk, you can have her now."

At these words, Eve and Garth together immediately jumped forward, meaning to pounce on the approaching giant. But Hotshot pushed down two buttons on his controller, electrocuting both of them.

"Stop! Stop!" Lilly said, almost crying. Then, falling silent, she walked forward to meet Turk.

Turk sized her up and down. "You're a pretty little thing," he said, "but too weak to survive on your own. Be a good girl and maybe I'll let you stick around when all your family is food for the worms! What do you say?"

Lilly did not answer. Instead, she just looked down at her paws.

"What, didn't your mother teach you any manners? Answer me!" Turk raised his paw and smacked Lilly across the face, nearly knocking her to the ground. She rose back into a sitting position, her bangs having fallen back over her left eye. She wanted to cry but did her best to hold it in. She determined in her mind that she would not, under any circumstances, cry for her oppressor, would not dance when he called the tune. For the most part, she succeeded in holding her tears back, only letting out a little whimper where she wanted to unleash torrents.

Eve and Garth once again jumped to save her, but were again met with electric blasts.

Turk laughed. "I hope that teaches you how to behave! Next time, I'll use my claws on that pretty little face of yours. And you wouldn't want me to do that, would you?"

Lilly turned her head away and closed her eyes, starting to whimper again. She felt Turk lean over her, his hot, monstrous breath rushing down her back and making her fur stand on end with fear. She felt his paw on her shoulder, and his claws beginning to dig into her flesh.

She opened her right eye briefly to see his large fangs right above her, curved into a diabolical smile.

"Hotshot!" Kate yelled. "Put a stop to this! You have to know that there is no reason for any of this! You can't win! But you end this now before anybody gets seriously injured! Your own greed will just drive you to your own destruction!"

Hotshot slowly shakes his head. "My own greed? My dear Kate, you've got me all wrong. It's not greed that's moving me. Not greed, or ambition, or a need for control, none of those things."

"Then why are you doing this?"

Hotshot smiled deviously. "Let's just say that I'm taking orders from a higher power."

"Funny," Humphrey said, "I didn't peg you as the type for religion!"

Hotshot's grin widened. "Who said anything about religion? Though I will say, I am working for a real angel! Ha!"

Then there came a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" Razor said. "Everybody's already accounted for."

Then they heard a voice, a human voice. "Um, Mr. Hotshot, it's me, Philip… Philip Urich. Are you in?"

I had flown my glider over the wilderness, looking for any hint of Lilly and Humphrey. I had managed to find their tracks and I followed those until I came to a spot where those three sets of tracks suddenly became thirteen. My heart started to pound as I thought that maybe I was already too late.

But I didn't let myself think about that. No, I couldn't let myself think about that…

Now, here I am, outside Hotshot's warehouse. And I've seen just about everything. The way they're treating my friends, the way they've got them in shock-collars, the way that Turk's all over Lilly. Everything I see assures me that I've made the right choice, if for no other reason than being able to put the pain on these sickos.

How did I see all this, you ask? Easy, I put the glider on mute and then, flying around the warehouse, I found a small opening, into which I threw one of my Goblin goodies from my bag of tricks. This happens to be a camera shaped like a spider (ironic, huh?) that crawls around as my mask sends it commands. So, with the video screen in my eye, I'm able to see everything that goes on without being noticed myself.

My plan is to wait for the opportune moment and maybe take out these thugs one by one so that nobody's the wiser. But I don't get the chance. Or rather, I see something that won't let me wait.

Turk strikes Lilly with his paw. Foul! A big, giant brute of a wolf, using all of his strength to hit her… to hurt her! She didn't deserve that! How could he look at her and possibly do… possibly do that? And the thing is, I know it's just a prelude to what he's got in mind. Oh, I think I know who needs a crash-course in manners!

So, I decide to make my entrance. But no reason to just burst in there. No, I am not being a coward! But mind-games are more effective…

So I rap on the door and use my normal voice. "Um, Mr. Hotshot, it's me, Philip… Philip Urich. Are you in?"

I watch in my viewscreen as Ace says. "It's the human."

Turk laughs and looks down at Lilly. "It looks like your boyfriend came to join the party. Now you get to see two of them die! After I'm done with you, of course!"

Lilly seems to be on the point of tears. Everybody else seems deeply worried. Hey, it's nice to have someone concerned about me, for once!

"What do you want, boy?" Hotshot says.

I respond, "T… Tony sent me to neg… to negotiate your demands."

"No negotiations, either he accepts them or he doesn't!" Hotshot says. "What's it gonna be?"

"If you'd just… just let me in, you'd see what he's prepared to give up. I ain't a wolf or anything, but it seems pretty generous!"

"My dad wouldn't do that," Garth whispers.

"Maybe you don't know him as well as you thought," Kate replies.

"But he'd be selling out the whole pack! He can't do that!"

"Instead of expelling Phil, he's using him as an expendable messenger," Humphrey says. "That seems like typical Tony to me!"

"Expelling him? What are you talking about?" Kate whispers.

"Not really the best time to explain!"

Winston now calls out. "Phil, get out of here, now! Tell Tony to fight, not negotiate!"

Hotshot electrocutes him.

"Philip," Lilly calls out. "Run away! Go! It's too late for us! Just save yourself!"

"Better listen!" Turk says. "Your girlfriend and I have some personal business to attend to, so scram!" As he says it, he puts his foreleg around Lilly and pulls her against his chest, almost crushing her small form.

"Big words from a guy who hits girls," I say.

The eyes of every wolf in the room go wide. Not just the bad guys, but Lilly, Kate, Humphrey and the rest too. Well, there's no going back now. As the man says, the die is, like, cast!

"How could he possibly know that?" Razor shouts.

"I don't know, Razor," Hotshot says, annoyed, "why don't we ask him? Phil, my boy, what's your game? You got some type of scam going on here?"

"Me, no," I say as I mentally order my glider to start hovering upward. "I'm just here 'cause I want to make sure my friends are okay. I want them to be free!"

"Well, you ain't getting it, son," Hotshot says. "And I don't think you even got anything from Tony. No, I think you're bluffing. You came down here by yourself, hoping that I would just release my prisoners because you said that Tony agreed to our 'merger.' Tough luck! Now, you better get out of here before my security team tears you limb from limb. Because the wolves, I need to keep them alive, but humans are just dead weight. And one as weak as you won't even cause my guys to break a sweat."

"Really?" I say, the tone of my voice becoming more confident, even aggressive. (Didn't know I had it in me!) "You think you and your dime-store goons can defeat me? It is to laugh. Hahahahahaha!"

Hotshot and his goons are confused. Lilly and my friends are confused. Everybody seems slightly off-balance. But nobody seems to put two and two together.

"That laugh really is annoying!" Humphrey says. "He should see somebody about that!"

Very funny. Trust me, Humphrey, I did. Fellow named Harry Osborn. And you don't want to hear the full improvement he made.

"Okay, Phil, let's stop playing games," Hotshot says. "If you want to get your can kicked so badly, why don't you come on in here and show yourself!"

"I think you might regret that," I say. "You would regret it indeed! Cause now that Humphrey and Kate and Garth and Winston and Eve and Lilly have all been captured, it only leaves me left to stop you. I always have to do everything myself! Hahahahahaha!"

Dark expressions cross my friends' faces, as they seem unable to comprehend what I'm saying. I don't blame them, I barely comprehend it myself!

The bad guys are getting unnerved now, but Hotshot tries to maintain himself. "Oh, I'd regret it, would I? Tell me, what makes you think that you could beat us? After we already beat Kate, Garth, and the finest Alphas of the united pack?"

I reach the roof of the warehouse and start cruising over it. "I'll be the first to grant that Garth and Kate are the best Alphas out there. I mean, have you seen Kate's moves? Or tried being on the receiving end of Garth's strength some time? I mean, that's impressive! And then there are all those other Alphas who can do almost as good. So, I can see why you'd ask that."

"Do you have an answer or do you just intend to babble?" Hotshot says, irritated.

Meanwhile, my friends all listen carefully for the answer. Kate and Garth listen most carefully, but everybody seems completely confused by my words. Even Lilly has stopped paying attention to the brute holding her to his chest in order to listen.

"Okay, here's the thing. Sure, this valley's already got tons of super-strong wolf-jocks and incredible wolf-gymnasts, awesome Alphas of all kinds, but this valley's never seen anyone like me! "

"And why, might I ask, is that?" Hotshot says.

My friends are now looking from one to another for an explanation. Many shrugs all around. Whispers of, "What could he mean?" and answers of "I don't know." Lilly seems particularly confused and even unnerved. She, most of all, seems unable to decide what to think.

I find a skylight. Peering through, I can see Hotshot and my friends – I'm right on top of them now. Perfect! "Because, as it turns out, Lilly was right about me. I'm special. I am so very special."

Rather than coming as a comfort to Lilly, this seems to confuse her more, as it does for the rest of my friends. In fact, she looks a little… disturbed? Huh, no time to think on that now. But now, everybody's, like, petrified, waiting to see what I'm going to say next. Okay, here goes…

"Y'see, my name is Philip Urich and I am the once and future–"

Now my voice goes from regular wimpy human to screechy, eerie Goblin, the voice I've perfected over the past few weeks. Then I send my glider into overdrive, crashing through the skylight.

"Green Goblin! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

I come straight down, sending glass flying all over. My physics-defying cape goes billowing out in all directions behind me as I tear down. Yet, it leaves my body completely uncovered, so everybody can see me coming down in all my green gruesome glory! But there's an art to this; I just don't want to drop in like nobody's business. No, I need to have some pizzazz. So I pull up my glider, letting it hover as I hold my hands out before me, showing off my claws, which go great with my giant fanged grin. I just wish I could be in everybody's minds as they see how undeniably awesome I am.

_The wolves could not believe what they were seeing. Philip – no, this thing couldn't be Philip – was standing there on its strange flying platform before them. None of them had ever seen anything so menacing, so evil. None could believe the trail of smoke its transport left in its wake or the giant cloak which flapped out behind it, the cloak which seemed to defy all laws of nature themselves. What was this thing, this Green Goblin? How could it even exist? More importantly, how could the awkward young man they had come to know and, to an extent, love have turned into this? This of all things? Lilly did not know what to think as horror filled her whole body, seeming to clutch at her very being. There was something in front of her, something more frightening than Tony, more frightening than Turk, and yet… she had just thought it was her best friend. But it couldn't be! Or could it? As soon as the giant green monstrosity filled her lavender eye, she almost began to cry. She had promised that she would never cry and this was the only thing which could make her break that promise. But not from fear, no, no matter how frightening this terror was. No, there was something else…_

Okay, that's enough of that. Time to really start this party. I once again do a nosedive, sending my glider spiraling in freefall toward the ground. As I do so, I reach for my bags of tricks and pull out several explosive pumpkin bombs. I push down the little stems on each and, as fire begins blasting from their mean little faces, I toss them into some nearby boxes. The boxes explode, and I don't mean just one or two boxes. No, whole stacks go up like, well, tinderboxes. I realllyyy hope that there was nothing in those…

_And then the thing just pulls out pumpkins. "Pumpkins?" The wolves think. And then the fire comes out. "Oh," the wolves think. But it doesn't make any of them particularly happy. And then he throws the bombs and they explode, causing wooden debris to fly everywhere. Nobody knows quite what to make of it, though his explosive power universally causes fear. Lilly starts shaking her head, slowly, not very vigorously, but definitely. As she does so, she whispers, so quietly that barely any sound leaves her mouth at all, "Philip…"_

"Don't just stand there!" Hotshot barks. "Get 'em!" His wolves immediately begin to run to and fro, trying to figure out how best to get the big green dude on the glider. Finally, they manage to discover that I'm currently headed in a downward direction and begin to run for my projected landing point. Well, three of them do, at least. Which is better than all of them, I guess.

But that doesn't stop them from trying to nip at me. Let 'em! I'm still too far up! But then it occurs to me that that won't last forever. Oh man, I've got to do something! But what? Well, I've got my bag of tricks, so I decide to startle 'em with a little green gas. I bring out one of my gas-ghosts and toss it down toward the baddies. As expected, it fills the entire area with green gas, concealing me from view as I zoom down to put the hurting on them. Luckily, because my mask is working again, it filters through all the green gas and lets me breathe without feeling all the harmful side-effects.

Just as I'm about to hit the ground, I pull back on my glider hard and end up curving at a right angle, sending me straight toward three of the baddies. I takes no effort at all for me to introduce their thick skulls to the wings of my glider. They topple over, each stunned into next week. Man, I bet that's gonna hurt in the morning!

Hahahahahahahaha!

_That laughing! That horrid laughing! How could Philip possibly make that evil noise? This thought ran through Lilly's head each time she heard the abominable cackling. How could Philip do this? Any of this?_  
_That wasn't quite what Kate was experiencing at this juncture. No, for her, images of that night of destiny were playing and replaying in her head. With every laugh, all the strange and terrible events of that night came flooding back to her. But, that thing was so much fleeter, so much more agile, more dexterous than Philip had ever been. Could this really be the same thing that harmed her? Could it really be Philip? The two things just did not equate. How could it be explained?_

_Garth felt rather upset. He had never been able to pull off such a move…_

_Humphrey couldn't believe it. Though he wished that he too could fly upon that bat-thing, which seemed to have better controls than any log-sled ever did, he couldn't help but feel that there was no way a fun-loving wise-cracker like Philip could be the figure on top of it. There must be some other explanation…_

_Eve wondered why it had been so easy to intimidate Philip with insinuations of bodily harm when he was able to become this… this monster._

_Winston always had secretly suspected that there was more to Philip than meets the eye, but had not held his daughter's fears that Philip was some terrible person. And now he knew that he was right, in a sense. Philip was not a terrible person, but a terrible monster. Man is a monster, so the old pack wolves had always told him in his youth, but Winston felt that this was a bit much. Philip had always seemed like such an upstanding young man._

I zoom about for a while, wolves on my tail. Everybody's clearly getting anxious. As I sweep and swerve (I love this job!), I look to see whether my friends are rooting me on. Funny, they all seem to have looks of anxiety on their faces. They're clearly not delighting in this to the extent that I am. Huh, strange. They must be worried about my safety. I guess I'll just have to work harder to prove to them that I'm perfectly capable of taking out Hotshot's whole gang.

No more of scrawny, wimpy Philip Urich, no siree!

"You're done for, Hotshot," I say. "You may have got my friends but you've got no hope of escape now that Jasper Park's very own mean and green cavalry is on the scene! Hahahahahaha!"

This seems to do little to comfort my friends, but it does unnerve my foes, which is exactly what I wanted.

I'm about to be ambushed by two wolves from around the boxes. Unfortunately for them, I hear their movement with the advanced hearing set up in my Goblin ears. So when they jump out, I'm ready with some stunning pumpkin bombs which send them both falling to the ground.

I really love this job! Hahahahahahahaha!

_Lilly lurched forward. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Did he really just kill those wolves? The thought of it made her sick to her stomach, that her Philip would do that. She looked behind her shoulder to see that her family felt the exact same way, judging by the looks on their faces. But then one of the wolves moved slightly, indicating that it was still alive. Lilly breathed a sigh of relief, then started to wonder whether there was anything to be relieved about, considering that Philip had still knocked them out with exploding pumpkins._

"That laughing, if he would just stop that laughing!" Hotshot yells. You don't know how lucky you are, brother. If I was using this at full blast, then you'd be sorry!

Another wolf tries to jump at me from a long stack of boxes. Yeah, I'm not about to let that happen. As he comes down upon me, I point my finger and laugh. (Hahaha!) He doesn't know what to think, perplexed by my action, until I knock him out of the sky with a bolt of electricity. Then I think he gets the point. Or a massive concussion! Whichever…

"He just shot lightning out of his finger!" Razor yells.

"Thanks for informing me!" Hotshot barks back sarcastically.

I can't help but watch the three-ring circus as Hotshot and Razor really start to panic. I'm so engrossed that I don't notice the metal support beam in my path until I smack straight into it.

Like, this is sooooo embarrassing!

My glider, unfortunately, keeps going without me and I slide down the beam until I land on the ground, my face planted into the floor. And I hear the wolves circling me.

_"That… that can't be Phil," Kate said._

_"No, no it can't be," Humphrey agreed._

_Lilly silently shook her head no. She was too pained to do much more._

_Then the Goblin crashed into a beam, completely losing his bat-transport and falling to the ground._

_"Okay, its Phil," Kate conceded._

The wolves are circling me now. They think they've finally got me.

"Alright, kill the clown!" Hotshot commands from his safe vantage point.

But if anything, the joke's on them, because as they slowly begin to surround me, I feel something inside of me. It's a certain feeling, one still strange to me but one that I'm slowly learning to appreciate. I know it could only mean one thing…

With a tremendous "Hahahaha!" I jump to my feet before any of them can reach me. Before they know what's hit them, I'm throwing stun bombs and gas-ghosts in all directions. They're falling all around like nobody's business! Meanwhile, my glider is wrecking absolute havoc on the other side of the warehouse, taking out some more goons with carefully-timed swipes, not to mention a few relatively harmless missile weapons!

As I'm fighting, I notice Hotshot safely standing out of the way. Well, he won't be so safe once I get done with him. He's focused completely on me, which is just what I want. I order my glider to swipe down toward him. He manages to hear it just as it's about to make contact and barely manages to jump clear of it, taking his little box with him. I order it to fly by me so that I can regain my footing.

_"Well-played," Winston remarked upon seeing the Goblin return to his feet and take out his enemies._

_"Yeah, I guess," Garth said, "if you're impressed by a bunch of bombs. But the guy's got no real muscle or skills!"_

_And then the glider dived, scaring Hotshot out of his wits._

_"He must still be in control of that thing even when he's not riding on it!" Kate said in amazement. "How can he even do that?"_

_"Who is this guy that's been living among us?" Eve asked. Nobody had a suitable answer. Lilly just whimpered._

I lightly jump on my glider and return to busting down my enemies. Except that there aren't too many enemies left. It seems like I've taken out most of them. I zoom upward and circle around, firing electric bolts at the last of my goon competitors. I can't help but break into song, "He flies through the air, with the greatest of ease, the daring young man on the giant… metal… bat."

Okay, maybe my songwriting skills need a little polishing! I never said I was the next Simon and Garfunkle!

_How can someone like the Goblin even consider himself a man? It was a question running through all of their minds. Lilly in particular could not stand to hear it, as it reminded her of her Philip, the real Philip, not this kelly-colored monstrosity flying above her. She could not accept, though she understood rationally, that they were the same man._

_But on a more positive note, everybody at least now knew that it was indeed a bat he was riding._

"I'll admit, that bat-thing is pretty cool!" Hotshot barks. "But it ain't gonna save you from us!"

"Check the memo!" I say as I shoot a electric bolt in his direction. (Missed!) "It's called a Goblin Glider!"

_"A Goblin Glider? Who named these things?" Eve thought. Then she realized it was probably Philip himself. Or, on the other hand, someone else had actually come up with such a horrid name for him…_

I circle toward the last few of Hotshot's gang. Chief among them is Ace. Somebody deserves to go down – hard!  
Hahahahahahaha!

They all scramble as I touch down, all except Ace. It finally seems like something has stopped him in his tracks. And who could blame him? I certainly wouldn't want to come face to face with someone looking just like me! As the Goblin, not Philip Urich, I mean. Not that Philip Urich is all that much to look at…

I bring my glider to a dead halt as I come up to Ace. He looks into my large yellow eyes, acting like a tough guy as much as he can, but the dead stare from my eyes only seems to increase his fear.

He finally manages to say something, "Th…th… those are my sunglasses!"

"Yep," I say as I deliver a left hook that puts him to sleep. I have a feeling he won't be waking up any time soon!

His buddies come charging toward me, so I lift my glider straight up and neatly manage to avoid being hit by them. They pounce on each other, but that does nothing but stun them. Looks like I'll finally get a chance to use something which I always wanted to but was never able to find the opportunity for during my first tenure.

I pull out a pumpkin bomb. What? You say it's just an ordinary pumpkin bomb? Sure, it looks like an ordinary pumpkin bomb but all I need to do is pull out the stem…

"Now we're gonna have some fun!" I say as I throw the pumpkin over my shoulder.

The hideous pumpkin bounces on the ground a few times, each time letting out a stream of green smoke. The smoke fills the air as the bomb comes to a dead stop on the ground. But the smoke doesn't remain so evenly dispersed for long. No, for it suddenly coalesces into the hideous face of the Green Goblin lurking over his foes. Then come his claws, those sharp claws, and then his huge, torn cloak and his whole upper body. It is truly a fearsome sight.

_"Hold on," Garth said, "there can't be two of him, can there?"_

_"I know what you mean," Humphrey said. "One is bad enough."_

_"How?" Lilly mouthed. "How is it even… possible?"_

_All the wolves within that circle were terrified by the giant head as well. But that did not seem to be the only thing to pique their fear. Soon they began screaming and flailing about as though caught by unseen horrors. This continued until all of them had exhausted themselves and fell unconscious. This did not take very long._

_"What was that?" Humphrey said. "Why did they just all go crazy and knock themselves out?"_

_"It's that gas!" Kate said. "That gas must be doing something to them! It might even be a powerful hallucinogenic capable of inducing fearsome illusions in their minds!_

_Everybody looked at Kate, surprised._

_"I heard some scientists talking about it on a camping trip to Jasper last year," Kate said._

Wow, that worked better than I thought! When I read about it in Uncle Ben's book, I never believed it could work so well. Besides, old Norman just used it on Spider-Man, he never tried it on a whole crowd like that! (At least, I don't think he did!)

Hahahahahahaha!

"Who is this guy?" Hotshot shouts. "And where does he get all those cool toys?"

"Listen to this, buddy," I say. "There is one true goblin, the Green Goblin! Hahahahahaha!"

I always wanted to say that.

I turn my attentions to Hotshot and Razor, cowering together on their little platform. They'd be cute if they weren't so evil. Anyway, time to make them pay. I put my glider into overdrive, flying toward them.

"What do we do, boss?" Razor screams. "He's going to eat us! What do we do?"

"I don't believe this!" Hotshot yells, more in panic than anger now. "This kelly crusader's been setting us up this whole time, with all the explosions and the laughing and that wimpy kid gimmick. He's been playing all of us like fools!"

"The Green Goblin must be a master strategist!" Razor responds. Who me? Couldn't be!

But I can't help but answer. "You seem so surprised! What, never heard of the _green man theory_ of history? Hahahaha!"

"You, stop him!" Hotshot says. With a mighty smack, he sends Razor flying toward me.

Razor obviously doesn't like his situation (Like, who can blame him?) but he decides that he has to go after me if he's going to keep his life. So, he opens his mouth and… well, I learn why the call him Razor. He's got this set of teeth which is just… very, very uneven and very, very sharp. This is going to be fun…

"Now I know why they call you Razor," I say, "but I've got a few razors of my own. Let's see how you like my razor-bats! Hahahahaha!"

And I draw a handful of those sharp metal bats from my bag of tricks. I toss them at Razor. A few cut his fur and skin, but most go right into his mouth. Now I know that sounds a little gruesome, but trust me, they just go straight toward his teeth and knock the worst of them out. Okay, maybe that's not really all that less gruesome. Sorry…

But he's had about enough of it. He dodges my glider and falls to the ground. But he's so afraid (or in too much pain considering the metal mouth) that he just faints dead away. Again. Man, he is no fun.

But enough of that, time to go after the big man. He's the only one left. So I put my glider into overdrive and zoom toward him. I don't notice, until I'm sent flying from my glider, that Turk is still very much active and looking for a piece of me. I feel his claws lock into my chest just as a big brown mass of fur blocks my vision. Before I know it, we're both falling from the glider and we suddenly land with a huge, painful plop on the ground. And when I say painful, I know what I'm talking about. Because, like, I was the one on the bottom end of that landing! With the feeling of a few broken bones and the massive weight of this ballooka on top of me, I start to wonder whether there's any way out of this. And then, I look up, past Turk's head, and see that lavender-eyed angel of mercy looking down into my yellow lenses. And just like that, I've got the inspiration to keep fighting, to show this lug what Goblins are made of. She must be, like, my muse or something… Yeah, something!

"Hi, Lilly!" I say as Turk tries to crush my insides.

_"Hi, Lilly!" Lilly cringed at the sound. Well, there could be no denying it now. Even with his life on the line, he seemed more interested in her than actually fighting back. No matter what this thing was, it was definitely Philip. Philip was definitely in there, somewhere. As much as she wanted to deny it, Lilly knew she couldn't any longer. But right now, she almost wished that both of the brutes would kill each other and leave her free. And then immediately afterward, she scolded herself for ever wanting Philip dead. And then she scolded herself for scolding herself. And then she didn't know what she wanted. She felt deeply concerned for the Philip-part of this thing, but really wanted the other part to just disappear._

"You're finished, boy!" Turk yells at me. "You can't do anything! Now your girlfriend can watch as I slowly tear the life out of you! Unless you want to make it easy for me!"

"Oh, so I'm just supposed to say I surrender?" I say. "Lame."

Turk's got my hands up by my head, trying to prevent me from getting any of my tricks or using my fists. But what he doesn't realize is that I have one more trick up my sleeve. Or, more accurately, my glove.

I push my fingers and thumb into the palm of each hand. I hold for a few seconds, as an evil Goblin grin stretched across my face. And then, when I'm ready and able, I let loose and a blinding white light issues forth from both my gloves. Didn't expect that, did ya?

Hahahahahaha!

Turk is completely disoriented by the light, staggering off my chest and giving me the opportunity to get up.

"If you didn't get the news-flash, let me repeat it," I say as I jump to my feet. "I'm the Green Goblin and I can do anything!"

I only notice just as I do that that Lilly has fallen backward a little, blinded by the electric light. She's cringing and her one visible eye is completely closed. I start to reach out my hand to comfort her, but then I notice something else from my old pal, Turk…

_Right in her eye. That blinding light, right in her eye! Is there nothing which this thing… Philip… can't do? And does he have any consideration for the fact that he might be putting her in danger? Lilly didn't know the answers to these questions. Again she asked herself, how could this be Phil? In addition to the fact that he was a green scaly monster, he didn't act like her friend. He was brutish and arrogant and a complete show-off, not the things her shy, clumsy confidant had been. Besides, her Phil would never have so eagerly put her life in danger, or ever potentially harmed her at all. So, how could he do it now, now that he was this thing? Had he been this before, when he seemed so much like her? Who was he all along? Lilly felt violated, her trust and faith shattered, and she felt she deserved to know. Who was he, really?_

Okay, now he's coming for me. Turk goes for everything he's got, trying to pounce on me. But I easily side-step. Boy, I love my Goblin reflexes. I just hope I don't lose them this time! Then he charges at me again. And I sidestep again. I even add a little dance for the viewers at home. I wink at Lilly, but she winces and briefly looks away. I think about telling her not to worry, but I've got more pressing things right now. Like keeping in front of Turk's charge.

"Which way did he go, George, which way did he do?" I say, mockingly.

"Why don't you just stay in one place, buddy?" Turk yells.

"Oh, and take all the fun out of it?" I say. "Hardly! Besides, I'm doing you a favor. You could stand to lose a few pounds, bub. Just sayin'!"

"I am going to kill you!" he shouts as he makes another pass. Again, I easily get out of the way.

But then he does something unexpected. He bites on the edge of my cloak (Always knew that thing was too long!) and pulls very hard, slamming me against another support beam. I crumble to the ground.

_"That looked like it hurt," Lilly thought. Even though she now felt like hating him, she couldn't help but feel for Philip or the Goblin or whatever he was now. Besides, he was kind of funny, in a completely horrifying arrogant sort of way…_

_"He's not too different from you," Humphrey said to Garth._

_"Come on, he's nothing like me!" Garth barked back._

I jump to my feet and I see Turk revving up for his final charge. He's just like a bull when he does that, you know? And I'm not about to be the one to feel the pain of his horns. And then, an idea occurs to me. I smile and say, "By the way, Turk, can you answer something for me? How many Goblins can dance on the head of a pin?"

No, I have no idea what it means, either. Hey, coming up with witty wisecracks when you're fighting for your life ain't easy!

As Turk goes into his charge, I turn and run up the beam, like in some old kung-fu flick and propel myself off the top. I manage to land behind him just as he kisses the hard steel and collapses. What goes around, like, comes around!

Hahahahahaha!

_"He's better than Kate!" Garth said, watching the Goblin._

_"Now, I wouldn't say that," Kate said, but she too was looking on in awe._

_"At least he can't match my strength," Garth said._

With him taken out, I turn back to Lilly. I survey her with one eye, as my widow's-peak thing kinda fell over the other one. Funny, we look a bit like twins! Who'da thunk it?

"Are you okay?" I say.

But she doesn't answer me. Then I see that she's got that collar-gizmo around her neck.

"Let's see if we can't do something about that," I say, grabbing it with both hands. She starts to squirm, trying to get away. "Don't worry," I say, "I won't let it hurt you."

After a moment, I add, "Besides, being shocked with 10,000 volts to the head isn't so bad once you get used to it!"

She cringes. Okay, maybe that part was a mistake.

_He stood over her now, taller than she had ever remembered Philip being. He smiled down at her, that creepy unearthly smile. Part of his hood, a long, singular, jagged part, was hanging over his eye, making him look like a mirror image of her. She shivered to think that they could ever be mirror images, but she knew in the back of her mind that that is what they had seemed like for so long._

_But now? Definitely not._

_"Are you okay?"_

_How dare he ask her that! How dare he even speak to her! She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but Lilly was also too terrified to even speak. Her most profound emotion was fear, not only for what was before her but what had been there the whole time. And then he put his hands to her neck. She thought maybe he was going to choke her._

_She knew that her mother thought so as well, because she heard a low growl._

_Lilly tried to move away, but his hands were too quick. They were at her throat and at the collar. She didn't want him messing with that. She knew that, one wrong move and she would be in a world of pain. And she doubted he would care one way or the other. Or would he? Everything was so confusing._

_"Don't worry, I won't let it hurt you."_

_Huh? Maybe he did care after all._

_"Besides, being shocked with 10,000 volts to the head isn't so bad once you get used to it!"_

_She didn't like the sound of that! And, judging by his voice – that horrible squeaky voice – he was speaking from experience._

Just as I'm about to tear that collar off of her, I hear something behind me. It's Turk. No doubt about it; he's the only wolf who has such a lumbering gate. And by the sound of him, he's at full gallop. Great. Just what I needed. He thinks he can take me by surprise. Boy have I got a surprise for him!

I push the fur out of Lilly's eye and now both of them are looking up at me, searching my face for any sign of recognition. I smile. This is, after all, how I want to remember her.

"He's persistent, isn't he?" I say.

She looks confused. But then I spin on a dime and meet my lumbering foe. He jumps for me but he doesn't expect what comes next.

I grab him. Between both hands I grab him and hold him above my head. And something appropriate from ten-grade poetry class runs through my head. So I say:

"My laughter haunts the souls of men,

My glider flyeth sure,

My strength is as the strength of ten,

Because my heart is pure!"

And I throw him away (Hahaha!), straight across the warehouse.

"That's what you get for hitting a lady!" I shout after him. I am the perfect green gentleman, after all!

_Philip moved her fur out of her eye, and Lilly looked up at him. The piece of cloth had moved out of his own, leaving both yellow eyes visible. She stared into them, trying to see if the Philip she knew was still there. But she just couldn't tell._

_"He's persistent, isn't he?" This surprised her to no end. Why would he say that? Could she ever understand him anymore? Who knew what sick fantasies were playing out in that green skull?_

_And then he turned quickly on his feet to meet a leaping Turk. As Turk came down, the Goblin grabbed onto him, holding him above his head. Lilly could not believe it._

_"What were you saying about him not having your strength?" Kate said to Garth._

_Garth smiled in embarrassment._

_"My laughter haunts the souls of men,_

_My glider flyeth sure,_

_My strength is as the strength of ten,_

_Because my heart is pure!"_

_"My heart is pure?" Lilly thought. "A pure heart, in such an evil body? That… that can't be. I always thought Phil was pure hearted, but… he lied…"_

_"Just who does this guy think he is?" Eve thought._

_"I really wish I could do that!" Humphrey thought._

_Winston did not know what to think. He was confused as to what Philip really was. He wanted to believe Philip had a pure heart, he would certainly have believed it before, and it was why he had kept him around for so long. But now, he couldn't say that the thing in front of him had a pure heart. How could he ever say that?_

_And then Turk was gone, having been thrown across the warehouse. Gasps ensued from everybody. It was the greatest feat of strength that any of them had ever seen, and so much beyond a human Omega…_

"That's all well and good, Goblin," Hotshot yells, "but I still got the controls to their shock-collars. And one false move out of you, and they all go up in electrically agony."

"Oh, I can't take it anymore!" Garth says. And he begins to howl. That horrible howl that I heard before. That one when he and Lilly are on the out and out. He tries and he tries and he just can't get that howl right. It seems to go on forever, but it never gets better.

"Shut up!" Hotshot yells, administering an electric shock which knocks him off his feet.

But that does give me an idea…

"Garth, you really shouldn't do that," I say. "Leave it to the big boys. I mean, that howl of yours is pretty bad, but it's not, like, anything compared to what we real ear-splitters can do!"

And then I turn to Hotshot, grinning and glaring at him, knowing that I've got him beat and he doesn't even realize it yet. "It's okay, buddy!" I say. "Your temporary victory is okay by me. Y'see, there's an old human saying, he who laughs last, laughs best. And I know I'm gonna get the last laugh, because mine is the best of all. No, nobody can possibly match… my Lunatic Laugh!"

**_HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA _**

**_HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!_**

Hotshot's absolutely out of it with pain. I take the opportunity to send my Goblin Glider (Forgot about that, didn't ya?) down from where it's soaring around near the rafters. It swipes down behind his back and rams into him and sends both him and his little doohickey flying. After that, it pulls back around toward me and I hop on.

Faster than a speeding bullet, I fly up and catch the control box.

"Hello, what do you do?" I say. "Oh, you electrocute people, is that right? Well, I can do that too."

And I throw it up, blowing it to smithereens with my finger-blaster.

_Garth, for one, did not like having the human tell him to that he was more qualified at anything. But, he had to admit, the human Omega seemed like he'd make a better Alpha than Garth himself. And that was hard for Garth to admit._

_And Kate had a glimmer of what Philip was planning, but everybody else had no clue. None of them imagined that his horrible laughing could get any worse. They turned out to be very wrong._

_"Get down and cover your ears!" Kate said just as he was about to let loose. But it was too late. Even though Kate was the only one who did it, it did not help her at all._

_As for the others, their looks of confusion soon became ones of absolute pain. They felt the pain and they all started to lose their balance. But somehow, all of them, even Lilly, managed to stay up during the Goblin's symphony of discord. But it was not through any willpower, they knew, for they all seemed to have lost all feeling as those horrible cackles ran through their bodies, burning themselves into their souls._

_"That laughter," Lilly thought as it seared her spine. "That laughter! It's the laughter that haunts my dreams! This… this isn't human… or wolven… or anything real! It's too… it's too evil! No one pure-hearted could ever make that type of noise! What happened to you, Philip?"_

_They barely even had enough recovery time to brace themselves for the inevitable shock that would come from the Goblin destroying the control-box. Except that nothing happened._

_"Wow," Kate said, more out of surprise than anything. "How did you know it wouldn't shock us when you destroyed it?"_

_The Goblin turned his face toward her and for the first time everybody saw this big green monster looking… confused and embarrassed? All of them wondered, for the sight was hard to mentally process, how such a fiend could even be confused and embarrassed. It did not seem possible that such emotions could exist in a Green Goblin._

_He flew down toward them. "Uh… nothing. I didn't even think about that." He then began to slowly move his glider toward them. "Wow, I could have actually killed you all there! Boy, that might be considered a tactical mistake!"_

I jump off of my glider as it hovers to the ground. "Hahaha! Strike up another one for the man in green! The Green Goblin always triumphs! Cool!"

Then I turn to Lilly and walk over. "Lilly, like seriously, are you alright?"

But she whimpers and backs away from me, crouching low and looking absolutely terrified. I… I don't understand… Why?

"Are you that afraid… of me?" I say.

Eve jumps in front of her. "You stay away from my daughter, you monster! Or I'll rip your arms off and strangle you by wrapping them around your neck!"

Yeah, right! "No you won't!" I say. "Super-Goblin powers, remember?"

But Kate, Garth, and Winston immediately follow her lead. What's up with everybody?

"Hey, last time I checked, people are normally grateful when the dashing young hero saves them from death and destruction!" I say. But nobody answers. They just continue to growl at me.

I look over to Humphrey. "Humphrey, like, help me out here!" But he just sulks away, whimpering a bit, trying to stay out of my eyesight. Thanks, Humphrey.

I grab my mask and pull it off. "Come on, guys, what's up?"

Everybody gasps. "Oh, you didn't realize it was a mask! Of course it's a mask! You think I could actually live with myself looking like this? Come on!"

But nobody's responding to my attempt at humor.

Winston steps forward. "You've… got a lot of explaining to do, young man."

"Okay," I say, "that's fair enough. But may I recommend we get out of the villains' lair before we all sit down to chat around tea and biscuits?"

Winston nods and silently orders everyone to follow him

"But, dad," Kate says, "what about Hotshot and his gang. What are we going to do about them?"

"Don't worry about that," I say. "I can use my mask to put in a call to the park rangers or animal control or something. Then they can take them all away."

Winston nods again but nobody takes their eyes off of me. I can see that all that trust and goodwill that we built up is gone. No, each one looks at me with a mixture of terror and loathing. You'd never of thunk that I was the one who saved their lives! It's like I'm the bad guy here! One by one, they walk past me, sizing me up like I'm some kind of… of threat! But I'm no threat! At least, I don't think I am…

Lilly's the last one to walk by me.

"Lilly, wait," I say.

Then I look in her lavender eyes. She's been crying, silently to herself. I put out a hand toward her shoulder to try and comfort her. "Hey, hey, it's alright, kid!" She swats it away as she looks at me, her eyes burning. Burning? Burning with anger, at me?

"I trusted you, Philip," she says. "I thought you were like me. But you're nothing like me!" And after sending that dagger straight into my heart, she walks off, her head bowed under her and her tail nearly between her legs.

"Wait, Lilly, come back!" I say. "Lilly, please!" But I get no response; her ears twitch, but otherwise she acts like she never even heard me. Soon, I'm left all alone. "Lilly! Lilly... I'm sorry…"

No, I'm not! I am not sorry. I realize that I'm not sorry. No matter what happens, no matter how this ends with me and the pack and Lilly, I am not sorry. Because, now at long last, I know who I am. And I will never again doubt that I am the Green Goblin.

The Green Goblin…

The Green Goblin!

So… what the heck am I supposed to do now?

* * *

**The secret's out! But it doesn't look like Lilly or the rest of the wolves are too happy about it! Our emerald idol is finally here to stay, but how is the Jasper Pack going to react now that they know what Philip Urich's dark secret really is? Are they going to conclude that he is still their friend - or that he's become their newest and greatest foe? One thing's for certain, it's only going to get messier in our next issue, "Secrets Revealed"!**


	17. Secrets Revealed

**Jasper Park may be able to rest a little easier now that Hotshot and his gang have been disposed of. Yeah right! Because, now they've got a bigger problem on their hands; the Green Goblin, hero to some, menace to others. Philip Urich's big secret is finally out, and now its Judgment Day for the emerald icon. But, Phil's still got more secrets up his sleeve, ones which the Jasper wolves won't want to hear. But if they push him too far, he may just tell all in "Secrets Revealed"!**

* * *

Kate looked up, watching the Goblin circle above. He did not seem at all like the Philip Urich she had known. She had always suspected Philip, until recently, of harboring some dark secret, and now she was kicking herself for having finally given up on finding out what it was. Now she knew what that dark secret was, but somehow it didn't feel right. If Philip, a man so weak, so frail, could become this… _this thing_, why didn't he do it more often? As far as she knew, this was only his second or third appearance in this role in all the time he had been with them.

But why, she wondered, why had he been so intent on_ helping_ them? She could not fathom it. He must have had malicious intentions, keeping this from them, mustn't he?

Lilly was thinking something entirely different. She loved, but she hated. She knew that she owed Philip, or the Green Goblin as he insisted on being called, her life. But she hated him, she hated him for not being the man she thought he was. That was something she couldn't forgive.

She looked above her to see the Goblin zooming through the sky, writing something with the smoky exhaust of his glider. Predictably, when he finished, big smoke-letters in the sky proclaimed, "The Green Goblin Rules!" Lilly rolled her eyes.

Then she heard a chuckle. She looked behind her to see Humphrey laughing. "What?" he said. "It is kinda funny!"

Lilly looked away with a sigh. It was kind of funny, but that changed nothing.

"I don't trust him," Eve whispered to Winston, her eyes pointing above.

"Neither do I, dear," Winston responded, "but we can't do anything until we get back to the safety of the valley."

"At least we've gotten those miserable collars off! I'm glad that we're safe now… to an extent."

Winston nodded. The he looked upward, himself worried about the strange man flying overhead.

* * *

"How could this have happened?" Tony said, steaming with anger. "How could you let my daughter-in-law go on such a foolish mission?"

"We didn't know about it until recently," Hutch said.

"We just got those three Omegas to confess to keeping it a secret," Can-do added, glancing at Shaky, Salty, and Mooch, who were shivering in a corner.

Tony paced back and forth as the sun rose over the mountains. "I should have known that that Humphrey would coerce her into something like this! He's always been trouble! I should have been better prepared! But, at least you must have gotten rid of that human, Urich, right?"

Hutch and Can-do looked nervously from one to the other, unsure what to say. Before they could, however, there was a great commotion. Tony looked above their heads to see Winston and Eve leading a large procession as all the wolves of the valley gathered round to celebrate them and their family's safe return. Tony pushed past the two Betas and ran over.

"Winston, Eve, how did you escape?" Tony said. "The last news we heard was from Ace who said Hotshot and his thugs were demanding the valley in return for your release. You didn't give it to them, did you?"

Winston shook his head. "Tony, you should know me much better than that by now. I would never give in to threats. But Ace was a traitor. It was he who set us up in the first place by telling us you were being attacked!"

"Me? I was never attacked!" Tony responded. "If only I had known that, I would have destroyed him! But where is he now, and how did you escape?"

"It's a very long story, old friend, but let's just say for now that Hotshot and his cronies won't be causing us any more trouble. One of our own took care of them, once and for all."

Tony pushed past Winston and Eve, running up to Kate and Garth. "Which one was it? Did you do it, my boy? I always knew you had it in you! Or, Winston, was it… your courageous daughter?"

But neither responded. If anything, they seemed silent from shame. Tony continued, until he came to Lilly. He summed her up, with his usual stern face surveying her. She shivered under that cold gaze. And then, he did something completely unexpected. He took Lilly in one foreleg and Garth in the other and hugged them both, catching both of them by complete surprise. Neither was accustomed to such overt displays of emotion from Garth's harsh father.

"I am so glad that you two have survived!" Tony said. "I was so worried that I had lost both my only son and my daughter-in-law!"

Everybody was shocked by this, but nobody had the strength to show it. They had all been shocked by too many things in one day for this to register on their faces.

"But, if it was not Garth or Kate, then who was it?" Tony said.

And then, the sky itself was alive with a sound, a disharmony of shrieks and laughter. Tony turned his head, not knowing what to think, and saw a large bat flying toward the mountain peak, with a giant green man upon it, his mouth upturned into an evil smile.

"What on Earth?" Tony said as he watched.

"What's that? What's that?" yelled several Omegas, quick to panic. But the thing kept coming. It was not about to stop, not about to give in to their fears. It was coming, all with the most frightening laughter any wolf had ever heard.

"Gangway for the Green Goblin! Hahahahaha!" It shouted as it approached the mountain and the bat's wings just managed to avoid Sweets and Candy, who both scurried behind a boulder.

The thing seemed to fly right for Tony and he arched himself, preparing to attack if it would not stop. But suddenly it did, right in mid-air, and began to lower itself to the ground.

"Winston, what is that thing?" Tony yelled, not taking his eyes off of it.

"Apparently, he's called the Green Goblin," Winston remarked. "And he just saved all of our lives."

"That's Urich!" Hutch whispered to Can-do as both of them looked on in stupor.

"I know," Can-do answered. "I've always said that I admired him!"

"What took you so long to get here?" Kate barked at the green thing. "With that glider of yours, you should have made it back first!"

The monster just shrugged. Then he reached down to the bat's metal body and opened a little compartment, withdrawing a can of Diet Coke. "What can I say? I was thirsty! So I flew by a nearby small town to get a drink. Let me tell you, I think there's going to be reports of UFO sightings and not-so-little green men in Jasper's morning paper!"

Kate looked away in disgust as Tony began to growl.

"Come on, Tony," the green thing said. "It's me!"

"You?" Tony barked. "Who are you?"

"Come on, you know me! Y'see, my name is Philip Urich and I'm the Green Goblin!"

"Urich? I thought I ordered you out of the valley!" Tony said, though the fear in his eyes made such anger seem hollow. "I warned you that death would result if you returned!"

"Oh, like you're actually going to kill me now, after I saved your son and daughter-in-law? _Riiiigghht…_"

And then the Goblin reached for his own head and, much to Tony's surprise, pulled it off, revealing the unchanged head of Philip Urich underneath.

"What? I don't understand this!" Tony yelled.

Lilly was behind him. She studied Philip's face; this was the first time that she had gotten a good look at it, as her eyes were filled with tears before. She immediately noticed something.

"Phil," she said, "where are the claw marks?"

"Claw marks?" A number of wolves said together.

"I… uh… I scratched Phil with my claws when he wouldn't help us rescue mom and dad and Kate and Garth," Lilly said.

"Sweetie, you know that you don't have the strength to really rend someone to pieces with your paws," Eve said, walking over to try and comfort Lilly.

Lilly shook her head. "But, I drew blood! I know I did!"

"Sure, dear, sure," Eve said, "but you were always such a gentle girl. Maybe you just imagined it! You do have a good imagination, after all!"

"No, she's right," Philip said, getting off his glider and walking toward Lilly. "She did scratch me, and it did draw blood."

"Then where did it go?" Lilly said, seemingly panicking as he approached her.

Philip squatted down to get on her level. "Accelerated healing factor. It means, if I'm right, that I'm practically unkillable. Cool, huh?"

"I… I… I don't understand!" Lilly cried. "How, how can you be this… this thing? You were my best friend, we talked about how we felt! We talked about everything! You saw all of my turtle impersonations; I even showed you my new ones, the ones that I'm working on!"

"I can see why your concerned, Garth," Humphrey whispered. "Your girl's just going around showing her turtle impersonations to anybody now!"

Garth growled.

"Okay," Humphrey said. "I was just trying to make conversation!"

Lilly continued. "I… I just don't know what to think! We shared so much, we were so much. We were so much alike, Omegas and everything. But now we're not alike, not at all. And, after all that we've been through, how can you be this thing? How could an Omega be this thing? How could – my best friend – be this thing? How can you do this to me?"

Philip shook his head. "Like the man says, there are more things in Heaven and Earth, Lilly, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

"But how? How did you become this thing? Why did you become this thing? Why would you even do this? Why?"

Philip shook his head. "I'm me, Lilly, and this is a part of who I am. You're better off if you don't ask how or why. I don't know if you'd understand."

And now it was time for Lilly to look heartbroken. "What do you mean I wouldn't understand? Don't we know each other at all? At all?"

"Philip," Winston said. "She's right. You still owe us that explanation and as far as I'm concerned, we're going to get it."

Philip wheeled around as Lilly stood silently, locked in confused contemplation. "Oh, right," he said. "I almost forgot."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Kate remarked. "Then again, it actually does."

Winston continued, "We need to know how it is that you are this… this thing… and why it is that you felt the need to hide it from us for so long. Please explain."

Philip put down his soda, put his hands behind his back and got a far-off look in his eye, making him seem quite silly for one so ferocious. He trotted over and fell back on his glider, sitting on top of the central engine and whirling his mask in his hand. "Right, okay. The first thing I should get out in the open is that I'm not the original Green Goblin. I'm not even the second Green Goblin. I'm more like the third, or the fourth if you count Bart Hamilton. But who really counts Bart Hamilton, am I right?"

Seeing that this was getting him no response, Philip smiled sheepishly and continued. "Y'see, the first Green Goblin was this psycho industrialist called Norman Osborn. He developed this formula – actually, he stole it from his partner, Mendell Stromm – to give him super powers like strength and super intelligence. But he only had an incomplete copy of Stromm's notes, so when he tried to recreate the formula from them, it turned green all of a sudden and then – Boom!

Philip waved his arms to emphasize the fact, causing some of the Omegas in the background to laugh despite their fear.

"The formula that he created worked in that it gave him all his powers, but it also drove him completely crazoid! He decided that he could take over the New York crime world and invented the identity of the Green Goblin for the purpose. I mean, despite the lame threads, this guy terrified the city! I was too young to remember, but apparently he really got people frightened. But then I guess the Goblin persona took on a life of its own and he developed a split personality and then him and Spider-Man–" Philip broke off to turn to Lilly as he said the name of the wall-crawler, hoping for some recognition. She gave it, but not willingly.

"Him and Spider-Man, they got into this feud which ultimately culminated in this huge battle at the Brooklyn Bridge. Or was it the George Washington Bridge? I forget. But, it was huge and this lady named Gwen Stacy got killed. Then Spider-Man got so angry he followed the Goblin to this warehouse where the Goblin and him fought and then the Goblin got himself impaled on his own glider!"

Philip threw himself against a nearby boulder to emphasize the point.

"That should have been the end of the Green Goblin, but then his son took over. His son, Harry. And Harry wasn't really a bad guy, but he was following in his father's footsteps. But, he got pulled into the whole feud with Spider-Man and ended up toxifying himself with a new batch of Goblin serum. So that took care of him. Oh, and Bart Hamilton was around there at some point, but he really wasn't that important. And then there was this other guy, dressed in orange, called–"

"Yes, Yes, Phil," Eve said. "This is all very fascinating, I'm sure. But it doesn't tell us how you became this Green Goblin character."

It took Philip a moment to realize what was being said to him, but when he caught on, he became even more enthusiastic. "Oh, right. Okay, y'see, I was working with my Uncle Ben to research this book he was writing about the Osborns, called _Dynasty of Evil_. It's a very good book and you should check it out if you ever get the opportunity. I mean, it's well-researched and fun and fresh and–"

"Get on with it, boy!" Tony barked.

"Right, right. Just give me a chance! Okay, so I was researching this with my uncle when I ended up tracking down a warehouse belonging to Harry Osborn. My uncle went to check it out but then… then it really wasn't my fault but… okay, maybe I might have let some unwise words slip to a friend of mine… who let some unwise words slip to the neighborhood tough-guy, Ricko the Sicko. I ended up down there with Ricko just as my uncle was looking around. He ended up getting jumped and I killed the power in order to save him. But then, when I was trying to get us out, I stumbled into Harry's Goblin lair.

"It turns out ol' Harr was working on a new Goblin persona, a Goblin for the Now Generation when he took the big dirt-nap. As I was snooping around, I got spooked by this rat–"

Kate laughed. "What?" Philip said. "Rats are scary! I mean, with those big teeth and those beady little eyes. I won't want to meet too many of them down a dark alley! Or even one in a Goblin lair! You wolves may be ferocious, but I'd take you before a rat any day!"

Sitting back down on his glider, he continued. "So, I got spooked and fell backward into Harry's new Goblin formula. Just as I started to recover, I heard my Uncle Ben being jumped by Ricko's goons. I quickly needed something to give me the edge and allow me to save my uncle, so I grabbed Harry's new Goblin suit and jazzed into action as the all-new Green Goblin!

"But the thing was, Harry had prepared the suit and serum with a little trick. He made it so that the powers could only be accessed through an electric shock from the new Goblin mask. I found out first-hand how painful that is… and that my powers wouldn't work without it! That was, like, foul! It seemed like a good thing that I was only going to use it once.

"But then, once I had saved my Uncle Ben, I was ready to ditch the Goblin gear and go back to a normal life. Thing was, the cops had different ideas! They burst in and I had to bang it out of there before they caught me. And the rest, like the man says, is history!"

"I see," Winston said gravely. Everybody had become stone-faced listening to Philip's story. They were silent for a minute but then Lilly spoke. Her face was one of anguish and her voice was weak and quiet when she finally began talking. "Why, why didn't you tell us any of this at the beginning? Why didn't you let us know who you really are? We trusted you with our valley and our lives!"

Kate shook her head. "No, Lilly, you trusted him. You were always convinced of his good nature. I was always suspicious, right from the beginning."  
Garth guffawed. "Hardly! Who told me I was being too paranoid about him? You! And wasn't I right to be, after all?"

"Okay, guys, let's not fight," Humphrey said. "I think we might have more pressing things to worry about, if you get my drift." He then motioned toward the sharp bat's-ears on the glider.

Philip was upset by the tone in Lilly's voice. He came over to her and got down on her level again. "The thing is, Lilly, I thought those days were behind me. I thought I was just puny Philip Urich again. Do you remember what I told you? I told you that I was a dweeb, a wimp, a dork? Well, that was true."

Lilly looked confused, so Philip elaborated. "Y'see, I was the Green Goblin, sure, but that was only about for a year before something really bad happened. These giant robot things, called sentinels, suddenly attacked New York and one of them even attacked my uncle's newspaper, the Daily Bugle. Y'understand, my unc, Lynn Walsh, and Merry were all in that building. I had to do something to save them from the sentinel.

"So, I dressed up in my Goblin gear and got on my glider and I got completely creamed. Those sentinels are big and nasty, let me tell you! But then I got this idea of piloting the glider – with my pumpkin bombs tied under the wings, right into robot dude's eye. Amazingly, the plan worked! I saved the Bugle, and possibly a large chunk of the surrounding city, from a real rampagin' robot! But just as something good finally happened to me, the universe decided to take it away, because the universe is a jerk like that. When my glider exploded, a piece of shrapnel was sent flying back and took out my mask, leaving me with no way of being the Green Goblin. I thought my brief, shining moment was just, like, gone in an instant! Until now."

He put out his hand to pat Lilly on the shoulder, but she growled. "And then what? You simply somehow managed to turn back into this… this monster!"

Everyone was surprised; no one had ever seen this level of anger in Lilly before.

Philip seemed very hurt, he could obviously tell he wasn't getting to her. "It's not like that at all, Lilly. It isn't! I… I… somehow my powers started to come back in. At first, I didn't really think anything of it. But then…"

"Then?" The tone in Lilly's voice suggested she was more irritated than curious.

Philip looked over his shoulder at Kate. "I just… whenever, whenever I really needed them, my powers started to come back in for, like, no reason whatsoever. They still do that, come and go, but when they started up… I didn't mean to ever use them again but then, then that Razor jerk threatened you and Kate and I decided that I… I just couldn't let him get away with it."

He stood up and walked over to Kate. "I'm sorry," he said. "I never meant for you to get hurt. You asked me at the time why I was talking to Razor. The truth is, I was loading him with stories of green goblins so that I would just have to put on my old outfit, do a few magic tricks, and scare him out of his wits. Nothing else. It worked too, but then you showed up and you were always so suspicious. I decided to bang out of there before you caught me. And then my powers came back in – really, Kate, that was the only way a wimp like me could outpace you. Maybe the only way anybody could outpace you."

Kate growled low. "At least mine comes from training and practice and experience. I didn't have to fall into some strange chemicals to be able to do what I do. Really, you aren't that impressive, considering that you didn't work for any of it."

Philip laughed, and everybody cringed. It was that horrible Lunatic Laugh, though on a much smaller scale. He seemed surprised after he had done it, apparently not expecting it either. But he regained himself, "Kate, Kate, Kate. You don't think I didn't work for this? You think it's easy just 'cause I sometimes got powers? Well, let me tell you, it ain't a cakewalk, powers or no!"

"Looks that way to me," Kate said.

Philip shook his head swiftly. "Well, it isn't. It was really tough being a super-hero back then and it's tough being a super-hero now. Just because you got powers doesn't mean you know how to use them."

Kate stuck her nose up. "Hmph! At least some of us got it through training and actually, you know, having to work for it."

"I hear that!" Garth barked. "Being an Alpha should come from putting a lot of effort into it, not because you just get lucky!"  
"Lucky? Moi?" Philip said, trying to hide the fact that these remarks were taking their toll. "Maybe I was lucky at one time, but I've earned the right to these powers, to this suit, to this identity! Maybe you two just can't handle the fact that Omegas like me are actually capable of turning our lives around and being something better than you ever were."

Kate and Garth laughed together, mirthless laughs. "Hardly!" they both said at once.

"Oh, no?" Philip now held out his hand to Lilly. "Then explain why, not only do you dislike the fact that Philip Urich actually has some worth to him, but your own sister, Kate – Garth, your own mate, actually is more competent and intelligent than either of you!"  
"What do you mean?" Kate and Garth barked together, looking from Philip to Lilly and back again.

Lilly seemed just as shocked by this pronouncement. "Philip, don't!" she pleaded.

But the man in green was on a role and he was not about to let this opportunity slip away from him. "Yeah, you heard me. Lilly, the one none of you – none of you – ever thought would make anything of herself! Lilly, who, despite being from the head Alpha family of the western pack, was consigned to be an Omega! Lilly, who has had to live all of her life with her parents' disappointment, with her sister's arrogance, and with everybody else in both packs looking at her like there's something wrong with her! Lilly, whose own mate thinks that she's too weak, too sensitive, to ever be of use to anybody! And yet, out of all of you, she's the only one who actually believed in me! In me! She had never heard of the Green Goblin, never of the madness of Norman Osborn or the tragedy of Harry, she had never read the news stories about how a new Goblin had suddenly appeared on the scene to try and right their old wrongs, never even suspected what I was. But she believed in me. I didn't believe I could do this anymore, but she believed in me. I didn't think there was anything better than what I was, but she believed in me. She believed in me, don't you get it? She believed… in me!"

Philip was no longer talking like a man or goblin possessed by anger, but as someone who has just come to a profound realization. He turned to look at Lilly, who was staring back at him. She could not help but be touched by this strange display, even though she was still angry at Philip, still upset over everything he did, all that he held back from her. But listening to him, she felt as though she wanted to hug him. "She believed in me," he said. "And I believe in her."

Lilly's jaw dropped. A gust of wind blew her fur out of her eye as she came toward Philip Urich. Though he stood above her in that strange green and purple suit, so unearthly, so unlike his own body, all she saw was that beautiful face, the blue-eyed, wavy-haired twenty-something looking with pride back at her. He was no longer the Green Goblin, but the man she had always known. Or maybe, what he was saying was true all along; Philip Urich and the Green Goblin are one.

She smiled as she stood in front of him. "It's you. It really is you. I… I didn't believe it before. I couldn't believe it. But you really are my best friend."  
He smiled. "Always, kid. Always."

Lilly's family was shocked. Kate and Eve looked almost like twins with their jaws dropped. Garth almost seemed to have tears in his eyes at the idea that he thought his mate was weak. Winston maintained his composure, as a proper leader should, but there was clearly something uneasy about him. Humphrey clearly did not know what to make of this, though from the light in his eyes, it was obvious that he had felt the same way about being an Omega on occasion. Tony was the only one who seemed unimpressed, but there were occasional glimmers in his eye of concern.

"Lilly…" Eve said slowly, as though she couldn't quite find the words. "Is… is this true? You… you've never really felt like that, have you, dear?"

Lilly was flabbergasted. What was she supposed to say? For a brief moment, she had let herself forget that her family and Garth were still listening. But now what could she do? They had heard everything, everything she had never wanted them to hear. And now what should she do?

"Uh… yeah," she said, turning away and hiding her face under her fur again. "Yeah, mom, I do feel like that."

"What? But… Lilly, dear, how could you feel like that?" Eve was on the verge of tears.

Then she rounded on Philip. "You! This is all your fault! Look what you've done to my baby! Filling her mind with all sorts of nonsense like she's not appreciated! I should tear you fingers off one by one and then use them to gouge your eyes out!"

"You know I could pumpkin bomb you before you even got close," Philip responded with a cocky smile.

"Lilly, you can't listen to him, he's a cold-blooded killer! You saw what he did to those wolves in that warehouse with his pumpkins!"

"Sounds like the pot's calling the kettle black," Philip said, "or green, as the case may be. But I don't kill anybody. Even I have respect for human… er, canine… life. I used some explosive pumpkins, sure, but the ones I actually used on the wolves were stun bombs, just like with all my enemies. They might have a nasty concussion when this is all over, but trust me, they'll live."

Lilly felt strangely relieved. She had known that none of the wolves in the warehouse had been killed, but she did question just what else Philip got up to with those exploding jack-o'-lanterns of his. But, seeing this change in Philip, seeing him willing to stand up to her mother, caused a change in her as well. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew it was. She faced her family and looked with those lavender lights of hers straight into her mother's own.

"Actually, mom, I've always felt that way."

Eve seemed as though she had been hit by a freighter, for she toppled back and nearly seemed to faint. Winston ran over and tried to awaken her, but he could not find the words. She just lay there, not truly asleep or unconscious but in a stupor like one gets when hit too hard or is in a fit of religious vision. Kate rushed over, as did Humphrey and Garth. Soon Hutch and Can-do followed, as did Tony. Eve quickly recovered herself, having come to realize that so many were looking down at her, but she could not disguise the pain in her eyes. Neither could the rest of the family. They all turned to Lilly, slowly, questioningly, not at all sure of what to make of it. It was as though they were looking for clarification.

Lilly didn't know how to respond. How could she? She had kept this from them for this very reason. And now, now it was all out and her worst fears were realized. She could feel it in their eyes, see it in their half-formed expressions. Blame, anger, possibly hatred. All for her. All for the little Omega who never fit in.

Was it worth this? Was the revelation worth all of this? Any of this?

Lilly looked up to Philip, a man resolute, sure of himself. How had he become that? She had heard his story. She knew how he became the Green Goblin. That she knew. But, how did he become the man with the courage to face this, face all of this without any show of fear or regret? She wished she could be like that.

But she wasn't. She knew that. She wasn't. She was not like that, no matter how much she wanted to be. Tears filled her eyes as she watched everybody around her looking, staring. They wanted an answer, they waited for it. And she had no answer to give them.

That little Omega who never fit in turned herself around as fast she could and, with clearly audible weeping, ran away down the slope of the mountain. None could stop her, none would stand in her way. Nobody knew what to think of what she did or why. There was merely silence.

"Wait, Lilly!" Kate said at last. But it was too late. Lilly was already gone. And then, Kate felt a heavy blast of air beside her, with a strength she had never known. She barely managed to maintain her balance as she looked up in front of her. Philip Urich, the Green Goblin once again under his mask, was speeding off on his glider in the direction of Lilly's departure. Kate did not know what to think. She wanted to stop him, but knew she never could. She wished he had never come, but knew that wishing was pointless. She wanted nothing to do with the Green Goblin, but knew that he might be the only one to be able to reach Lilly now.

"Hahahaha!" he laughed as he disappeared into the distance, leaving a winding trail of grey smoke behind him.

"Godspeed, Phil," she whispered.

* * *

**Now that everything's out in the open, how will this affect the pack? The Green Goblin may be in the clear - at least temporarily - but that's only because all of the attention is now on Lilly, the one wolf in the pack who never wanted it. And it's nothing good. Has Phil's big mouth caused a permanent rift between her and her family? How will she cope now that she really is singled-out in the pack? And what can the Phil- the _Green Goblin_ of all people - possibly do to make her feel better about herself? It's all going to be revealed in our next issue, "Omega and Goblin"!**


	18. Omega and Goblin

Lilly did not stop running until she had reached a lake at the center of the valley. She did not know where she was going, as tears filled her eyes, but she had been down this way so many times before that her legs instinctively carried her. As the last tears fell from her eyes, she heard them drip into the pool of clear water below. She was surprised, but somehow she knew this was where she wanted to be. This calm pool was where the wolves usually came to drink water, but many times it happened to be deserted. Lilly loved to come at these times, when she could be alone and simply take in the surrounding beauty. Sometimes she would bring Garth here on a date and they would just cuddle together and watch the slow ripples in the water.

She surveyed her own reflection, her lavender eyes now red from crying. Her hair, she realized, was still pushed back. She couldn't help but smile, despite her sadness, at the strange figure she made in the water, made all the stranger by the flow of ripples across her reflection. But it was a temporary relief. Soon she was thinking about how much she hurt everyone, her whole family. Lilly shook her head in sorrow as she thought over, in slow motion, every painful moment. And now she felt like more of a disappointment than ever before.

Then she saw something odd in the water. It was beginning to ripple much faster now, as though a number of large rocks had been suddenly thrown into it. Little droplets of water flung here and there, crashing into the pond and making more ripples until the whole pond itself was shivering and shaking. Some small drops were even rising up and landing upon her feet. She looked all around for the source of the disturbance but could see nothing. Then she heard the sound of a jet-engine whirling in her general direction. Trees began to shake, bushes trembled, twigs and small rocks flew from their places on the ground as though picked up by an unseen hand.

Lilly looked behind her, for she knew what was coming. And as if on cue, the Green Goblin came darting from around a nearby tree. His glider skirted to and fro, neatly dodging several trees and not so neatly removing the branches from several more. He seemed to be living up the experience, though Lilly thought that he looked as though he might be having difficulties figuring out how to navigate the heavily-crowded woods.

"Hahaha!"

Lilly cringed to hear that horrible laugh. "It _is_ worse than Garth's old howl," she whispered to herself.

The Goblin zoomed down toward her, so quickly that she thought he was going to ram into her. But then, all of a sudden, he came to a dead halt. The exhaust from the glider's tail disappeared and instead white smoke billowed from underneath as the Goblin lowered himself to the ground. But this was too late for Lilly, who had been so certain of a collision that she had thrown herself backwards into the water.

The next thing she knew, she was being pulled out of the blue by the green and purple-garbed hand of the Green Goblin. With one single hand and one tight grip, he lifted her from the sea's enclave and placed her upright next to him on dry land. He had already removed himself from his glider.

"Sorry," he said as she shook herself dry.

"It's alright," she said, more for lack of an appropriate response than anything.

"And… I'm sorry about the other thing, too. I shouldn't have mouthed off to Kate and your parents like that. I know you didn't want me to tell them anything."

"I never actually told you that."

"No, but I could just tell that it was something you didn't want them knowing."

Lilly nodded. "That's right. But it's too late now. The squirrel's out of the tree now."

"What? Oh, you mean the cat's out of the bag!"

"Huh?"  
The Green Goblin shrugged. "Same idea, different society, I guess."

"Why would a cat be in a bag?"

"I don't know. It's just, like, an expression from who-knows-where!"

Lilly chuckled slightly, even though she still did not know how she felt about everything.

"That's better," the Goblin said. "It's, like, nice to see you laughing again."

"Can you do me a favor, Philip," Lilly said quietly, trying to avoid his yellow-eyed gaze.

"Sure thing. Like, what is it?"

"Could you take off the mask?" Lilly was not keen on talking to the hulking monstrosity, even if on a rational level she knew it was just Philip inside a fancy costume.

The Goblin nodded. "Uh, sure." And then, reaching upward, he grabbed at his forehead and pulled the mask away from his face. His purple hood fell behind his head at the same time. And the visage of Philip Urich, smiling with condolence, was revealed once again. He tucked the Goblin mask carefully into his metal belt.

"Now, that's better," Lilly said, a slight sense of happiness returning to her voice. However, she still did not know what else to say. So she and Philip just stood there in silence, each waiting for the other to begin the conversation that both knew they had to have.

Finally, Lilly spoke. "Why didn't you tell me? I can kind of understand not wanting to tell the others, but why not me? You could have told me what you were… once, what you were once, even if you didn't think you were still that now."

Philip's lips formed into a frown. "But I did tell you, Lilly. Don't you remember? I told you that I had always been a dweeb and a nerd, except for one brief shining moment when I was so much more. Being the Goblin was that moment, that bright moment in my life when everything seemed to be working out. And now, it's my moment again."

"But… I never thought you could be anything… like this."

Philip looked wistfully at the lake. "Neither did I, Lilly, neither did I. Most of the time, I still have trouble believing it. I mean, look at what's happened to me. I can't believe it myself. Suddenly I'm on top of the world. It should have been, like, somebody else!"

Lilly looked up as he paused; he seemed to have realized something.

"Oh wait," he said, "that's the theme to the Greatest American Hero!' He cocked his head to the side. "Not inappropriate, though."

Lilly sighed. "I guess, you and me come from very different worlds. I never thought things like… things like…"

"Things like me, you mean?"

"Things like… that thing you become. That stuff doesn't seem like it could ever happen in Jasper. In Jasper, the Alphas are Alphas and the Omegas are Omegas. That's just the way it is and nobody can change it."

Philip looked at her, curious. "You changed it. You were an Omega who fell in love with an Alpha and you changed the whole society. That's something, isn't it? I mean, something changed."

Lilly shrugged. "Yeah, but what did it really change? I'm still an Omega, Garth and Kate are still Alphas. I really wonder sometimes whether it was all worth it."

"Come on, Lilly, of course it was! You and Garth, you love each other. And you fought to keep that love, that really is something."

"Ha," Lilly said, the first time Philip had ever heard her vocalize a sarcastic laugh like that, "me and Garth fell in love, but it was Kate and Humphrey that really changed things. Kate was the one who first admitted that she liked Humphrey and we just kinda followed on that. We got swept up and just followed their lead."

Philip shook his head. "But you took their lead and you ran with it. I mean, I may not be the first super-hero that old New York has ever seen–"

"You mean New York, New York?"

Philip chuckled as he remembered their earlier conversation on the very subject. "Yeah, New York, New York. I may not be the first super-hero New York, New York has ever seen or even the most famous and certainly not the most competent. I may not be the one kids want to be when they grow up or the one people look for when they're in a world of trouble – that's Spider-Man or Captain America. But I am the Green Goblin and I am a super-hero. Just because they led the way and I'm just following in their footsteps doesn't mean that it isn't my destiny too and that I don't have something valuable to bring to this whole tights and jammies affair."

Lilly was already lost in thought. "Sometimes I wish Garth would have been the first one to tell our parents about how he loved an Omega. I think about it, that if Kate hadn't been strong enough to go against mom and dad, Garth would have married her. It was only because she had the courage that he found it within him too."

Philip nodded. "Yeah, so? I never thought I had any courage in me, either. But somehow, I go out there on my glider night after night. Somehow, I choose to right wrongs and fight the baddies. And a lot of that is the fact that Spider-Man does it without a reward or fame or anything. He just does it, so I can too."

"But why, why do you do it?" Lilly said. "Is it just because of an accident, because you fell into those chemicals? Would you still want to be a hero without them, or could you be happy being an Omega and having fun? Wouldn't it be so much easier for you if you just lived like that, like I do? Is it worth all the hassle to be a hero?"

Philip smiled. "Who says I don't have fun? Hahaha!" He moderated his laugh so that Lilly would not suffer the painful effects of it. "But seriously, I never wanted to be a hero. It was never my dream to be a super-jock that goes about fighting crazy villains and saving grannies from speeding cars. It wasn't my idea to become a scourge of evil, a champion of the oppressed, or any of that other politically-correct jazz. But then I fell into those chemicals. And it was, at first, just because of that accident. It was just that which kept me going, since I could never find a way to ditch the outfit that wouldn't lead back to me. But then, something funny happened as I went on. Somehow, I discovered that I actually, like, believe in this super-hero noise."

"You believe in it? I believe in what the Alphas do, but I don't go out hunting caribou."

Philip returned her sharp look with a friendly smile. "Yeah, well, maybe that's the point. I realized, y'see, that my life had been pretty directionless until then. I was just going from one thing to another without really bothering to ask myself why. Why go to college? Why move out of my parents' house and into my loft? Why accept my Uncle's offer of a job at the Bugle? These were things I did just because they were, like, there, not because I had any idea about where to go in my life. But being the Goblin made me different. It made me… better."

He paused for a moment.

"And that's why I do it. It makes me better than just Philip Urich, better than just the wimpy kid no one ever dared to think would amount to anything… that I never dared to think would amount to anything. Every time I get on that glider, every time I put on that mask and wait for the sharp electric pain – No longer working! – to sear through every inch of my body, it proves to me that there is something better within me, that there is a better piece of me buried somewhere inside. There is something good and noble and just, something I never thought could exist within my soul. But it does exist, it's there. And every time I begin to forget, I have to get back on that glider, put that mask back on, and then I remember why I do this all in the first place. It makes me a better person. It makes me better."

Lilly nodded slowly, pensively. "I think that maybe I understand. But why do you need a mask and a costume to make you better? You're a good enough person already!"

"Maybe I am. Yeah, maybe I am. But it took the Green Goblin to bring it out of me. Funny how that works. Y'see, sometimes I think I see the spirit of Norman and the ghost of Harry and all the other Goblins currently deceased egging me on to follow in their footsteps. And I wonder, why keep acting like this symbol of evil can be used for some heroic jazz? I ask myself that a lot, or why I would even want to be associated with something that strikes terror into so many innocent people. But I was never an Osborn and this isn't who I am as a Goblin. This thing which came to represent such evil for so many people has come to be the thing which represents heroism and greatness for me. Or as close as I'll ever come to true heroism and greatness. And you know what, maybe that's enough for me. As long as I can do a little good and have a blast doing it, then I know that being the Green Goblin is the right thing for me. Being the Green Goblin shows me what I really am and what I truly need to be."

Lilly was confused and her face showed it. "I… I don't really understand."

Philip began to pace, at one point nearly tripping over his own glider. "Maybe, maybe I was never meant to live the life of a normal man but to be a creature of legend, an example to future generations. Most of the time I find it hard to believe, but sometimes, like when I saved you and your family, I know that it's true. This is what allows me to rise above who I was and to make a difference – even if is, like, miniscule. But, like the man says, one guy's miniscule is another's… uh… maxiscule, maybe? To me, it matters. And that is why I choose to be the Green Goblin."

Lilly nodded with genuine understanding. She now began to feel as though she could rationally grasp why Philip was what he was. But then, she sighed and shook her head. "We do come from different worlds. The human world must be great, where stuff like that can just happen. But it's not something that happens in the wolf world. Not to me, at least. I'm just a weak, pathetic Omega. And I always will be."  
Philip put his gloved hand on her shoulder. She pulled away slightly, due more to the instinctively dislike of the clawed glove than from discomfort from Philip. He smiled at her, but she looked away. Finally, he said, "You got to be kidding me, kid! You've got so much potential that you don't even realize!"

"Yeah, right…"

"You do. You know, somebody once told me that I was special and that I only needed to see it myself. I wish you could meet her, because you could use some of her advice."

Lilly smiled at the thought of giving herself advice.  
"There you are. See, you are not weak or pathetic. I can't say about your family, but I know to me you are not a disappointment. I always thought I was a disappointment, but I just needed to believe in myself. And that's all you need to do to prove that you aren't weak, that you aren't pathetic. Trust me, once you do that, you'll see."

"Thanks, Philip," Lilly said quietly. "But I don't know if I can ever believe that."  
"Hey, you once told me that what I said had an impact; that you wanted to be more. Well, kid, you got your chance. And didn't you succeed?"

"Uh… no… I got captured. I got captured because I'm just an Omega who doesn't know the first thing about being an Alpha."

Philip slapped his head in an exaggerated "frustrated" manner, causing Lilly to chuckle slightly. "But you went out. You went out and did it. That proves that you were more, right? That you are more? It does in my book. Sure, you were unprepared. Sure, you got captured. Sure, you needed _yours truly_ to save you. But look at you, you actually went! And if Ace hadn't been such a bozo, you might not have needed me at all!"

Lilly shrugged.

Philip continued. "Besides, it ain't like your family of Alphas did any better. Need I remind you that you were only going to rescue them? Because they got themselves caught in the first place? I mean, if that doesn't say 'dork,' I don't know what does. Uh… not that I'm calling your family dorks or anything…"  
Lilly nodded. "I know, but still… I don't know, Philip. I'm supposed to be a pack leader one day, but I know I'll never be able to do it. That's just what everybody else thinks, too. I can never be pack leader. That's why mom and dad and Kate and Garth and Humphrey and all the others try to keep me from interfering while they make the big decisions. They just don't think I can do it. They think I'm a failure. And I think they're right."

"Well, I think they're wrong."

"I don't know, Philip. Somehow, I wish I could be like you and just shape up. But I can't. It's not in me!"

Philip shook his head vigorously. He was not about to let Lilly beat herself up over this. "Haven't you been listening to me? I was _never _the one who was supposed to play hero,_ never_ the one who was supposed to take on that bag. But I was, and I am. I never thought I had it in me to handle the responsibility. But here I am. Look at me, the man in the giant Goblin suit. That's me, the guy who thought he couldn't do it. But then, when I had to face it, face it for real, I found out that I could. And someday, Lilly, you're going to find that out too. You're gonna be tested, just like I was, and when that happens, I know you're gonna pass with flying colors."

"But what if I can't do it?" Lilly nearly howled, tears starting to well up in her eyes again, though she held them back as best she could. "What if I don't want to?"

Philip got down on her level. "I really… it's hard for me to answer that. But I know, even if you don't want to, you will. Just like, even if a part of me doesn't know about whether I want to keep this Goblin gig, I'm always gonna get back on that glider. Y'see, that's just the way it is."

Lilly shook her head, causing her fur to fall over her eye. "No, I don't see."

"Maybe keeping that fur out of your face would help." Philip pushed back her fur. She shivered as the clawed hand coursed through the strands and moved them backward. But to her surprise, this did not hurt in the least. She did not expect Philip to hurt her, but she could not yet overcome her revulsion to the Green Goblin.

"I… I just don't understand. What if I fail?"

Philip smiled. "You just get up and try again."

"But… if I fail, how do I get up and try again? Why should I? Why shouldn't I just go and cower under a tree trunk and pretend to be a turtle hiding in its shell?"

Philip's eyes filled with understanding. Lilly knew he thought he had found the perfect thing to say. She waited in anticipation.

Finally, he spoke. "You remember what I told you about Spider-Man? A guy who does a lot of good, right, but gets completely chewed out by everybody for it? You wanted to know why he does it. I didn't understand. I didn't understand until I became the Goblin to rescue you. Then everything clicked, and I knew why he continues to be a hero even when nobody respects him.

"Y'see, I met him a few times. One time, I asked, I said, 'Spidey, if everybody's always bagging on you, why do you keep with this super jock boy-scout noise?' Of course, I had a reason to ask, since if nobody wants to trust Spider-Man, there ain't no way they're gonna trust the gruesome Green Goblin. And, I didn't get what he was telling me at the time, but like I said, now I get it. And I think what he told me's gonna haunt me till the day I die. That's not easy when you're talking to the Green Goblin, but I digress."

"What did he say?"

"Well, Lilly, he looked me straight in the eyes just like I'm looking at you now. Well, I think it was straight in the eyes. Who can tell with those big bug-lenses he has? But, he was looking at me. And he didn't even mull it around or anything. He had the answer ready, as if he rehearsed it in his mind every day of his life. He said to me, when I asked why he continued to do what he does, he said to me, 'With great power comes great responsibility.'"

Lilly was silent as she soaked up this maxim. Philip paused for a moment to let her collect her thoughts. Then he continued. "Y'see, he told me that when he first became a costumed jock, he was only interested in the money and fame. Kinda like I was, actually. But then he says he was so blinded by wealth that he actually let this crook escape from a gig he was working. Like, just to get back at this guy who jiffed him. And then, he told me, his uncle ended up getting shot by that same crook as he escaped."

Lilly's eyes widened. "Was… was he okay?"

Philip sadly shook his head no. "Uh-uh. He was fatally wounded. The webhead told me that he found his uncle there, dying. And as he cradled the dying man in his arms, his uncle looked up into his eyes and, with his very last breath, said to him those words, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' And he vowed that he would never ever forget that he had a responsibility to use his powers for the greater good. He would never forget his uncle's dying words. With great power comes great responsibility."

Philip was silent for a moment, as was Lilly. At last, she said, "Is that true?"

"It's what he told me. I may have exaggerated a few things here or there, but overall, that's what he said. Honest. Even if it ain't true, it's a great super-hero origin. I wish mine was that cool… well, except for the part about his uncle being killed. But, still…

"So, I kinda blew that off, until I had to save you. And one of the things I was thinking about while I debated what to do, while I got my equipment together, while I got on my glider and flew after you, was 'With great power comes great responsibility.' And I knew, I knew that I was going to save you or dying trying, whether I could do it or not. I had the great power, even if the Goblin serum wasn't going to work; now it was time to accept the great responsibility. That's how I know that, someday, you're going to have to face that. And you're going to remember, 'With great power comes great responsibility,' and then you're going to be fantastic. You're going to be just fantastic."

Lilly nodded slowly. "I guess that makes sense."

Philip nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess." He noticed that Lilly seemed to have cheered up somewhat. Her eyes were no longer red from crying. He decided to try and cheer her up more. "Hey, want to take the old glider out for a spin?"

Panic now appeared in her eyes and across her face. "You mean… fly? On that thing? Phil, I hate log-sliding with Humphrey down a hill! I can't even stand the thought of that thing! How can you even stand to fly it?"

"You bagging me, kid?" Philip said with a laugh. "That's one of the perks of my job! Ain't no roller-coaster on Earth capable of giving you the thrills of this little beauty!"

"What's a roller-coaster?"

"Something much faster and more thrilling than a log-sled, but nothing like this, let me tell you!"

"Eh, thanks but no thanks. I don't think my mother would approve."

Philip rolled his eyes. "And do you always do what your mother tells you? I thought we just went over that." He hopped on the glider and flicked the switch to power it up. As it lifted off the ground, he said, "Come on, it's just a ride."

Lilly shook her head fiercely and firmly. "No, no, no. I… I don't like things that twist and turn and go incredibly fast. I just… I just don't."

"You don't know what you're missing. You don't really know what it means to be free until you're soaring through the skies like a bird on rocket-fuel! It's, like, the most awesome experience you can have. You just haven't lived until you've tried it."

"Maybe… maybe some other time." Lilly was still adamant about not trying it, but she didn't want to hurt Philip's feelings. "I wouldn't… I wouldn't feel comfortable, since I've never ridden on one before."

Philip laughed, almost reaching Lunatic pitch. "Never ridden on one? How do you think I got you back home after we wandered to my camper? You didn't really think I dragged you all that way, did you?"

Lilly's eyes widened. "Phil, you… you didn't!"

"Okay, I admit. It was my prototype, which only went four miles-per-hour. But still, it's basically a very slow moving version of the same thing!"

"But, conscious, I don't know if I could handle it right now," Lilly said. "Not with my home-life like it is."

"It might free you from those worries, you know. Let you have some fun again."

Lilly shrugged and eyed the glider nervously. "Really, Philip, I have to pass. I just don't want to try it today. Maybe some other time."

Philip nodded from atop the glider. "Suit yourself."

Lilly silently gave a return nod. "Well, I guess I should go try to patch things up with my family. I think I'll have a lot of explaining to do."

"Okay, I'll come with you. Like, to give you emotional support."

Lilly shook her head. "If you don't mind, Philip, I think it would be easier for them if you didn't come with me. No offense, but they already distrust you too much. If you let me just explain it, maybe I can get through to them in a way they'll understand."

"Hmm, that actually makes sense. Okay, Lilly, but if you need me, just laugh. Oh wait, I'm the one with the Lunatic Laugh!"

"Must you do that?" Lilly said. "I doubt your sanity every time you do."

Philip grinned devilishly. "That's the point, kid. That's why it's called the Lunatic Laugh! Besides, you're the one who told me that being able to laugh is just as important as strength or agility. Hey, and I proved you right, didn't I?"

"I didn't mean it quite like that," Lilly muttered.

"Hey, you just didn't know how wise you were, Lilly. And you asked for it, so you got it. Just hope I don't have to use it in hearing distance again."

"I will, I will. I can almost accept the whole Goblin thing, but that laugh is just… evil."

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Really, it's actually rather invigorating once you get a hang of it. Unfortunately for me, I can never really seem to control it. Oh well, that's more the bad guys' problem than mine. But hey, if I was a real menace, I'd just use the thing all the time no matter who got hurt. So you got to give me points for restraint there."

Lilly smiled furtively at him. "Because you lack it in so many other ways as the… the Green Goblin, I think it was."

"You better believe it, and the Green Goblin is here to stay!"

"I still don't know how I feel about that," Lilly remarked quietly as she walked past the glider. Soon, she was disappearing into the tall grass.

"And remember," Philip called after her as his glider began to sway from side to side. "With great power comes great responsibility."

It was a reminder that would haunt her all the way back to the central peak of the valley. She turned it over in her head time and time again on that long walk, whispering it under her breath. "With great power comes great responsibility."

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, I made a major change in the _Green Goblin_ canon (such as it is) in this chapter. Even though Philip and Spider-Man cross paths a few times during his first Goblin tenure, they never actually speak to each other long enough for Phil to learn anything about who Spider-Man is or why he does what he does. (Of course, Peter and Phil are best friends in _Spider-Girl_, but that is set fifteen years in the future.) But I thought it would be a good thing to add in in a section about super-hero responsibility, especially since Phil's own "responsibility moment" isn't nearly as dramatic or iconic. Besides, it just seemed like fun to let Phil retell Spidey's origin with his characteristic exaggerations.**


	19. Knight and Goblin

I sit atop my glider as I watch Lilly disappear into the distance. She doesn't want me to be there when she tries to work things out with her folks. I can respect that, even if I don't necessarily agree that it's best to tackle all of them (especially Eve – shutter) alone. Lilly's got to do what's right for her and I for one do not intend to stand in her way.

"How very admirable."

Oh great. I'll give you three guess as to who it is – and the first two don't count! Sure enough, the Green Knight strides up beside me on this giant green horse. Creepy!

"There is a saying of your people," Bertilak says. "Those in glass houses should not throw stones."

Fair enough! But I still know better than to expect anything good when this guy's around.

"Nonsense," he says. "Hasn't everything I've done brought you to a better place, namely your rebirth as the Green Goblin?"

"I can't argue that," I say, as much as I want to argue it. "Was that your plan all along?"

He nods. "Yes, yes. As I told you before, there is a destiny in the affairs of men beyond what you might easily grasp."

"Why couldn't you just explain everything to me in the beginning?"

"Because, life is not handed to you on a silver platter, or even on a green girdle, but you must solve its problems for yourself. If I had laid things out so neatly at the outset, you would have no reason to become the Green Goblin once again."

Something occurs to me, actually for the first time. "And why do you care so much that I be the Green Goblin?"

"I am the Green Knight."

"Well, duh! But that doesn't explain why you… and why me…"

He grins, that horrible fanged grin, not unlike mine. "Because, Philip Urich, great green men must stick together, or else we shall never achieve anything in this life worth being told about hereafter."

Okay, now I'm starting to get confused. This guy is awfully long-winded. And by the way he's rolling his axe on his shoulders, I probably shouldn't have said that in my mind.

But he seems to ignore it, even though I know he must have heard. And he knows I know… He says instead, "Truly, every age needs a green being to challenge the world, make it prove itself. A being capable of walking the edge between that considered good and that believed evil. When such a being appears, people begin wondering whether their distinctions were right all along or if they need to expand their understanding of things."

My head is, like, spinning. "Dude, would you stop saying things that are so confusing? You're almost worse than Bart Hamilton. Almost."

He laughs evilly. "Oh, my friend, you shall yet understand. Yes, you shall. But I trust that you no longer have any apprehension about being the Green Goblin?"

I decide to return his laugh with a Lunatic Laugh of my own. "Hahaha! Of course not! How could I? You said it is what I was destined to be. Even if you're wrong, it's what I want to be! Even if this ends up badly, that doesn't change the fact that I want it. And that's all that matters to me right now."

"But I heard what you said to Lilly. And now you understand, at least, that you are more than average."

"Yep, I can't even believe it most of the time, but that doesn't seem to change the fact that I, Philip Urich, somehow have something important to do in this world."

"Glad to hear it. I think you might yet make a fine hero."

"Moi, a fine hero? Who'da thunk it? Oh wait, you."

He just keeps beaming at me. That is really, really creepy! I wonder if that's how other people feel when I'm wearing my Goblin mask! Except for him, it's not a mask…

"Or is it?" he says.

This question makes me think, and when I finally answer, it's with a question of my own. "Okay, buddy, here's something I've got to ask you. What are you, anyway? A hallucination, brought on from that college reading assignment? Or are you really the Green Knight? Are you just in my head – like, the personification of my alter-ego or something else psychological? What is it?"

"Perhaps all those things, and so much more," he says, making everything clear as mud. "Perhaps more than a man and less than a god. Perhaps just like you…"

"Okay, hold up, buddy. I'm not exactly more than a man or any type of god. I'm just a super-hero."

"Just a super-hero. But what is a super-hero if not that; more than a man, less than a god?"

He makes a good point. I have to nod my head in bemused agreement.

"Me, though, I'm not even a typical super-jock. You've got to admit that."

"I was never a typical knight, but that does not make me less than I am."

"Still seems funny that Philip Urich, the dork and wimp, could actually become something like this. I mean, it's hard to fathom!"

"Strange that a phantom could not fathom anything."

Now I'm completely lost. "Okay, what? Dude, you're not even making a sliver of sense anymore!"

He just grins. "Maybe not to you, but to myself. And you shall come to understand in time. But as you were saying, you are a 'wimp.' "

"Thanks, that really makes me feel better."

"But also so much more than a weakling, or even a normal hero."

I shrug. I really don't know how to answer that. So I decide to switch the subject. "Okay, but now that I'm green and groovy again, everything turned out right, right? I mean, this is the end of my journey, or whatever this thing you're trying to take me on, right?" I certainly hope so!

"Then hope in vain. Or at least, your hope is misplaced. The journey of life never ends, and neither does the journey of the Green Goblin. As long as that journey is yours, then I shall always be with you."

Great… Just the person I always wanted to always be with me…

"Don't sound so troubled. I am not anything for you to worry about or fear. But I see that you have failed to heed my other advice, about the one you must fear most of all."

I cock my head to one side. I really don't know who he could be talking about.

"Have you forgotten so quickly? Have you forgotten when, as with the spirit of prophecy upon me, I told you that your downfall would come from the one who covers half her face with her hair? Yet, you give no notice to my warning."

Now I remember. And I can't help steaming up with anger inside. But I know better than to try and show it, even though I'm sure he's hearing every word of this. "Look, I don't know what you got against Lilly but I know she'd never betray me. And whatever else you may know, green guy, you can't know anything about her betraying me because it would never happen. She is my best friend and I am hers. Maybe you'd understand that if you didn't spend so much time just randomly appearing out of the woods!"

He shows no trace of anger. In fact, my response seems to particularly tickle him. Well, I'm glad he's happy about it, 'cause I sure ain't!

"Calm yourself, calm yourself. I see that you have indeed gotten very attached to Lilly. And why not? You and she do share many character traits. But that is no reason to let the words I say depart from you as soon as they've come."

I shake my head furiously. "Stop banging me, man! I don't see what you think Lilly could do! Did you not notice that she's the reason I put on this green get-up in the first place? The reason I decided to hop on my glider and try to save Jasper Park? It was her. Her! Without her I never would have done any of that stuff."

"Never say never, Green Goblin."

"But, like, I had no reason to until I met her. I had no reason to stick my neck out when I didn't have my powers, to trying being a hero when it seemed like everything was telling me to pack it in. But she gave me a reason to be a hero, whether I succeed or die trying. So, just, like, lay off, man!"

"You have been made stronger and better just by knowing her. The lily is a symbol of spiritual growth and fulfillment, after all."

"Exactly, so lay off!"

He shakes his head, more out of amusement than anything. "You are apparently more unwilling to listen to wisdom. You complain that I do not lay things out for you but then you yourself seem unable of following them when I do."

"Yeah, right. Like you're actually laying things out. Admit it, you're just kinda making vague insinuations. And that ain't cool."

He shrugs. "So you say. And perhaps I am. Perhaps not. Perhaps you have taken someone to have a better character that they do. There is still a viper near you and I fear that, until you drive that viper from its next and crush it with your heel, you shall always be in jeopardy. That is as I see it."  
I've had about as much of this as I care to listen to. But before I can say anything, he continues. "But as you are so unresponsive to any attempt to talk sense into you, any attempt in that direction at all, and since you are so against the hearing of wisdom, I shall tell you no more. You shall have to confront the viper yourself when the right time comes. And it comes soon. Mark my words, Green Goblin, it is already coming."

And then, just like that, he's gone. I mean, everything. He's gone, the axe is gone, the horse is gone. It's just all gone! It was freako enough when he just made himself disappear… but a horse? Like, that's a whole 'nother living thing! At least, I think it is…

But that stuff he's saying. I don't like it, all this talk about doom and downfall and vipers. If I wanted that, I'd just go read some of those '2012' blogs! I mean, talk about crazoid!

But there is one thing his speech is. It's mysterious. I mean, textbook mysterious. I wish he would just spell out what he says. But if he's saying it, that means that there really is something on the horizon, something sailing closer to me every second. Something that could threaten to overtake and completely obliterate me!

"Phil?"

My heart skips a beat. It's Jenny!

"Phil, I heard you talking to someone. Where are you?"

_ Ohhhh maaaannnn_, this is so not good! If there's one person I really never wanted to see again, it's Jenny, especially after I ditched her a few days back. If she catches me here, she's not going to be happy that I bailed on her when I said I'd go into town after her!  
On second thought, the fact that I'm a giant Green Goblin with a Philip Urich head might upset her a tiny bit more…

So I decide to make like a firecracker and blast on out of here. I quickly throw my Goblin mask back on and immediately take off, flying into the nearest thicket of trees just as I see Jenny appear out of the corner of my eye.

Phew! That was a close one. I seem to have a lot of close calls in this profession! Must be just part of the lifestyle! But I'm just thankful I don't have to explain that potentially embarrassing scene to Jenny now… or, like, any time soon! I know the decent thing to do is to eventually face her and break up like a man. But no etiquette book says I have to do it _now_! And even if they do, no one ever accused me of being the male Miss Manners!

Now I'm flying high over Jasper, taking the time to let the beautiful view sink in. I look down and see the green trees and the yellow grass, their colors playing off each other and the red of a few older oaks like some sort of mirage. Occasionally a lonely hill with its black, black rocks juts up from the valley and a few pools of bright blue water sparkle in the noon-time sun. Beyond the valley, light scampers about on the peaks of cool white snow-capped mountains, which seem all the more majestic for the occasional sight of brown rock underneath. There is huge space here, and I can see nothing but green and white and brilliant color no matter how far I look. It makes me appreciate the fact that I'm the _Green_ Goblin. And I am free!

As I near my Goblin cave, with wolves trying to scamper out of the way as I zoom headlong toward the mountain, I wonder what I should do while Lilly is busy trying to have a heart-to-heart with her family. Hey, wait, I never got around to calling Merry! You know, maybe now's the perfect time for it. I, like, have my head screwed on much better now, so why not?

Inside my cave, I ditch my Goblin gear and, while reclining on the glider, I pick up my cell and start to dial.


	20. The Importance of Being Lilly

**Lilly finally explains things to her family but how will they react to what she's told them? Will her family accept how she feels or will they refuse to believe it? Will their relationship ever be the same again? It's a special Lilly-centric issue as she discovers "The Importance of Being Lilly"!**

* * *

"So, you see, that's the way I've always felt." Lilly closed her eyes and turned her head down, letting the fur fall over her left one. She was waiting for her family's response. She already expected it to be bad. "I don't blame any of you for it, but it's just the way it's always been with me."

There was silence for a few moments. Kate, Garth, Winston, Eve, and Humphrey had all met Lilly within the pack-leaders' den. Lilly had asked to give her explanation for Philip's earlier comments. Everybody had expected her to tell them that Philip was mistaken or delusional – the latter nobody needed convincing of – and that she had never felt underappreciated or devalued.

Now that she had made clear that not only did she feel that way but had felt that way her whole life, nobody knew what to say. Eve and Winston wanted to be mad at her for saying that they did not love her as much as Kate, as it seemed to indict them for not being better parents. But they knew that being mad at her for that would reinforce the pain and alienation she already felt.

Kate had never known that Lilly could feel as though Kate had been favored over her. Kate never felt like her parents had demonstrated a preference for her over her sister. She was simply Alpha material and her sister wasn't. In her mind, it was a fact of life, not a question of who mom and dad preferred. But then, she realized, she had never looked at it from Lilly's perspective. Until she had spent more time with Humphrey, she had never been able to look at life through an Omega's eyes. And even though she was learning, it had never occurred to her to look at life through her sister's.

Garth felt absolutely horrible and he seemed to be the one closest to tears. He had, secretly, always agreed with Philip that Lilly was undervalued by her parents and sister, but he had never thought this worth mentioning. He knew that he valued Lilly and that was enough for him. He never considered that it was worth telling Lilly so, or pointing out to her that he wouldn't want her to change in any way. He simply took it for granted that she knew. Now he wondered if he had misjudged or if there was something about her which he had not known about.

Humphrey did not know what to make of the whole thing. Lilly was a friend, but he had never thought much about whether she was undervalued. As an Omega, he tried not to think about such things. After all, his own role within the pack was very important, and he had never felt differently. But now, he could see how Lilly, who had never been the peacekeeper that Humphrey was, could feel like a failure.

"I know I'm such a disappointment to you all," Lilly said. "I'm sorry."

Eve walked up to her and started shaking her head, as much in disbelief as in disagreement. "My baby doesn't know what she's talking about! Come here, Lilly. You must have caught cold or fever. I mean, to be talking such nonsense!"

But Lilly pulled away, her fur flying out of her eyes. "No, mom. I'm not sick. This is really how I feel."

"But… but you've never been a disappointment to us. I don't understand what would ever make you think such a thing! It must be that… that Goblin! He's to blame. He's been lying to you, making you think such things! It's not your fault, dear!"

Lilly could feel herself growing frustrated, even if she was too shy to show it. "Mom, don't talk about Philip like that. He hasn't been telling me anything. He's my friend and he just wants what's best for me."

Eve was not happy with this response. "We just want what's best for you, dear. How could he even know… I mean, look at him! He's a lunatic, to go around like that and think he's actually doing someone some good."

"He's not a lunatic! He's a good person! A… a hero!"

Kate stepped forward. "Lilly, I agree with mom and dad. You should not be so trusting of Philip. He seems very dangerous. You weren't there when I first found him in… that state… during the Moonlight Howling."

"He wasn't trying to hurt you! You heard him. And he saved your life!"

"Only after nearly causing me to lose it. If you ask me, that does make him seem like a real lunatic."

"And yet we were the ones so concerned with howling at the full moon." Lilly smirked, something none of them but Garth had ever seen her do before.

Garth now stepped forward. "Lilly's right. Philip's… eccentric… but I don't think he's a danger. At least, he wouldn't intentionally harm us."

"See, this is why I had doubts about marrying our daughter into the eastern pack," Eve whispered in Winston's ear. Winston smiled ruefully.

Garth continued, "I think you're just trying to sidestep Lilly's concerns by blaming them on Phil. Truth is, I think he's right. None of you ever appreciated Lilly like she deserves to be appreciated."

"Oh, like you're not a part of this too," Kate muttered.

"Maybe I am," Garth said. He turned to Lilly. "Lilly, you never disappointed me. You were always more than I thought any wolf ever could be. There's not a single part of me that wants you to be what you're not, because what you are is everything to me. Maybe I should have told you that before. I'm sorry that I never did. But I love you, Lilly, and there's no way you could disappoint me."

Lilly smiled at him, unable to come up with the right words for a response but answering more than enough with the soft, loving light in her eyes.

Winston stepped forward. "That is quiet enough, Garth. I expect that you shall treat the presiding Alphas of the western pack with proper reverence when you are in this territory."

Garth made to respond, but Humphrey jumped in front of him. "Hey, hey, I thought we were all one united pack now! Why don't we just forget all about this and go back to… go back to…"

"No, Humphrey," Garth said, pushing him out of the way. "We can't just forget this. I for one think Lilly has a valid point that needs to be addressed."

"Come now, this idea… that we somehow favored Kate over her… that's an absurdity. There should be no more discussion of it in the united pack."

Tony now suddenly walked in. "I don't know, Winston. It does seem like we should listen to the up-and-coming generation, no matter how trivial their concerns may seem."

Everybody looked to Tony. No one had expected him to champion Lilly's viewpoint. But now that he did, some of the fire had been taken out of Winston's argument. Winston considered for a moment. Then he nodded.

"You're right, old friend. I never thought you'd have to be the one to correct me. But you're right. If a future pack leader – and my daughter – doesn't feel appreciated, it is our duty to address it."

Lilly's parents now walked both right up to her, as Garth stood to the side.

"Sweetie," Winston said, his voice loving and fatherly. "We never were disappointed in you, either. There is nothing wrong with being an Omega instead of an Alpha. Just look at Humphrey…"

"Thanks, I think," Humphrey responded.

"But," Lilly said, "the pups of Alphas always become Alphas. It's considered a disgrace if an Alpha family has an Omega pup. And that hasn't happened to the Head Alpha's family as far back as anyone can remember."

Winston nodded slightly. Lilly did have a point. His family, which had been ruling the pack since time immemorial, had never produced an Omega before her.

"Lilly, there is no disgrace in it. Sure, there were some rumblings from the other pack when it got around that only one of our daughters was going to Alpha school, some scurrilous words when they found out that the other daughter would be an Omega–"

His wife's elbow jabbed him in the ribs.

"Scurrilous words, mostly from me," Tony added. All it took was a threatening look from Eve to cause him to fall silent.

Winston recovered himself. "What I mean, honey, is that whatever the other wolves thought, whatever you've been led to believe, we never thought of you as anything less than Kate. We didn't want you to be an Alpha just because your sister was or because our family has always been Alphas. We wanted you to be what was right for you."

"I still think we made the right choice," Eve interjected.

Winston nodded in agreement. "Lilly, just because you are an Omega, it doesn't make you less of a wolf, less of a leader, than your sister. Someday, the pack is going to need your quiet wisdom just as much as your sister's natural ability. We need both of those things to guide us."  
Lilly was hiding her face. "I… I don't know. You just always… always treated me different than Kate."  
Eve nuzzled her daughter. "It's true, maybe, that we've always been more protective of you, that sometimes we haven't treated you… that we've treated you like a pup when you're already a grown wolf. But that… that's only because we… we didn't really understand how to raise an Omega, being Alphas ourselves. But that's, that's our fault, not always being able to recognize that an Omega matures differently than an Alpha, but we're learning as we go. And that may have given you the impression that we don't love you like Kate, but both of you are our daughters and we love each of you equally for what you are, not what either of you is not."

Lilly picked her head up and smiled. "You mean it? Really?"

Winston nuzzled her as well. "Lilly, you are still our daughter no matter what you are. Alpha or Omega, the blood of all this pack's great leaders runs through your veins just as much as it does through Kate's. It is your legacy too. Besides, being the only Omega of the pack's leading family makes you special in your own way. In a way, it's an accomplishment in itself, an accomplishment which no one has ever seen before. It is something you should be proud of. Just as we're all proud of you, honey."

Kate stepped in front of her parents and smiled at Lilly. "Sis, I never felt… I never felt like mom or dad loved me more than you. If anything, I was always kinda jealous that they felt the need to protect you more than me. I'm proud to be an Alpha, but it seemed like you were lucky to be an Omega, because it meant mom and dad gave you the special attention which they never felt that I needed. And I never looked down on you for being an Omega. Maybe I seemed dismissive when I was so preoccupied with my role and maybe I should have acted more like a sister and less like an Alpha from time to time. But it was never because I felt like you weren't as important as I was. I'm sorry if you ever felt like you couldn't trust me like a sister should but from now on I want you to tell me if it seems like you can't talk to me. I want you to feel like we're sisters before we're anything else."

Lilly nodded, a small smile forming on her face. "Mom, dad, sis, Garth… I love you all. I'm sorry about thinking you weren't proud of me."

"Don't be sorry, dear," Eve said. "We should have been more receptive to how you felt. We won't make that mistake again."

The other three voiced their agreement and one by one, they hugged Lilly. Her mood brightened considerably as she received the affection she always felt had been denied her.

Humphrey looked over at Tony and began gesturing for a hug. "I guess, since you are my mate's sister's father-in-law, that makes you like my father-in-law-in-law. So, how about it? Everyone else is doing it!"

Tony snarled. "Don't even think about it, boy."

Humphrey quickly retracted his forelegs and swiftly turned away. "Okay. It was just a suggestion. No need to take it so personally, ahem…" He peered at Tony from the corner of his eyes to see if the old wolf was making any more aggressive moves, but for his good fortune, Tony seemed like he just wanted to forget that the suggestion ever came up.

Lilly's tail wagged fiercely from all the love she was receiving. Her eyes positively sparkled. Her life over the past few days had been such a whirlwind that she still didn't feel like she understood it all. But this she understood. She finally understood how much her family truly loved her. For perhaps the first time in her life, she felt appreciated. And it made her happy.

* * *

**It looks like, in the middle of chaos, something good is finally happening for somebody. Can it last, even when here are still more twists and turns ahead? And don't worry, true believer. The Green Goblin may have sat this issue out but he'll be back next time as the pack finally has to come to terms with the unwanted existence of "Jasper's Newest Protector"!**


	21. Jasper's Newest Protector

**What's it like to be the new protector of a pack of intelligent, talking wolves? Well, it's nothing out of the ordinary - if you happen to be the Green Goblin, that is! But the pack itself isn't thrilled with its unlikely guardian angel. Yet it's becoming more and more obvious that they're going to need to make peace with him in order to finally bring this strange saga to a close. But that doesn't mean that they have to like the idea of the Green Goblin as "Jasper's Newest Protector"!**

* * *

I put down the phone after having a long talk with Meredith. I apologized for being such a jerk before and we managed to patch a lot of things up. Now I'm not saying it's gonna be smooth sailing from here on out. No, but there's at least some hope of better things on the horizon when I get back to New York. Cool!

Then I throw my phone away and look out the cave. Several wolves pass by, trying to gain glimpses inside. If they're hoping to see the Green Goblin, they'll be disappointed to learn that it's just Philip Urich here right now. My Goblin costume's currently strewn all over the floor (Hey, it's not like there's any point in hiding it anymore!) and I'm just relaxing in an old Rangers jersey and a pair of blue jeans.

But everybody seems… almost starstruck anyway. Starstruck? About me? As if! But that doesn't change the fact that they all seem quite interested in me despite my not exactly cutting a heroic figure right now. Wolves are weird.

I now notice that Can-do's standing guard in front of the cave entrance. I decide to go over, see what's up.

"Ah man," I say, "you mean they're still keeping me under guard – even after everything we've been through together?"

Can-do nods slightly and slowly. "Actually, you are under 'observation.' But really, there is nothing different. Winston and Eve are very upset toward you right now."

"Typical. They would be upset at me. And all because I saved their lives! And the lives of their daughters and sons-in-law. I can see why they wouldn't like that…"

Can-do tilts his head slightly. "If it's any consolation, I still believe in you."

And all of a sudden, the prospect of having a heart-to-heart with Can-do sends shivers down my spine. I slowly back away before he can add any other words of encouragement.

Then I see those two vegetarian wolves, Reba and Janice, walking past, their faces stained with the juice from those disgusto blue berries. Janice smiles at me while Reba shouts, "Power to the Omegas," in my general direction. Whatever, I guess.

I return to my lair and chill out for a while until I'm surprised to see a figure entering the place. I recognize immediately the big red body of Garth. Or at least, on some rational level I do. But the emotional part of me can't grasp that Garth would be coming in here by himself with no Lilly in sight.

"Philip," he says, with all that annoying seriousness that the Alphas tend to get up to, "I need to talk to you."

"Okay," I say.

"It's about Lilly." Not this again!

"Look, Garth. Like I said before, there is nothing going on between me and her. I'm not, like, in competition with you or anything. I mean, can you imagine a wolf and a Goblin, together?"

"I couldn't have imagined a Goblin in the first place or even that an Alpha like me would marry an Omega. So I'm not really the best person to ask that, as much as I don't like admitting it."

"Then what is it about?

"I just came to say I'm sorry." It clearly pains Garth to do this, swallow his pride like this, and I know that I should put on a brave face and just quietly accept.

Too bad! No matter how much I know I should stop it, I can't help but grin wide at the thought of Garth apologizing to me. I even laugh a bit, causing Garth to cringe. I really need to get better control of that…

"Well, if you're just going to laugh in my face–" Garth begins.

I quickly shake my head. "No, no, buddy. It's just the idea that you would actually have something to apologize to me about. After all, we haven't exactly seen eye-to-eye this whole time and it just seems kinda surprising. But it's big of you to say you're sorry. I really appreciate it."

Garth nods without any trace of emotion. "It is true that we haven't been on the best terms. But I think Lilly is right about you; you're no threat to us."

"Thanks for what I prefer to think is a compliment. And while the love-fest lasts, I suppose I should apologize to you."

Garth, for the first time in this conversation, actually shows emotion. He looks startled. "Apologize to me, what for?"

"For, you know, hitting you so hard that you went flying back into the rock wall. I honestly did not know my own strength at the time."

Garth smiles bashfully. "Oh… that. Well… um… that was just because I had poor footing and lost my balance and let my own momentum carry me into the rocks. Yeah, just that and nothing else."

I give him a knowing look. "We both know that isn't true."

His head sinks down. "Yeah, but do you have to rub it in?"

"No, man. I was just apologizing straight and simple. But it's no good if you won't accept it."

He looks up again. "Fine, I'll accept it. But what I came here to say is that Lilly has trusted you almost this whole time. She was the first one to trust you, even though I never did. But now I think she's right. I think that you really care about her and wouldn't intentionally do anything to harm her."

"You got that right!"

"Unintentionally, maybe. I mean, you should have that laugh checked out…"

"Says the wolf who regularly stuns innocent bluebirds with his howl."

He gets a little angry. "Hey, it's a problem and I'm dealing with it! Besides, that's only when me and Lilly are on the out-and-out. She taught me how to howl, you know, and it's only because of her that I can. Only by focusing all my mind and all my heart on her am I able to come up with something beautiful. Otherwise, nothing but pain."

"Still, I wouldn't be criticizing the methods that saved me if I were you."

"I suppose that's a fair point. I just don't want anything you do to harm Lilly. Though I'm sure now that Hotshot and his gang are out of the picture, there is no more reason for you to become the Green Goblin."

I look over Garth's shoulder at the peaceful valley slowly becoming orange as the evening sun descends behind the mountains. "Yeah, I guess I probably won't be fighting any more baddies here."

I think I hear a familiar green voice laugh cruelly, but the thought quickly passes.

"So… I just want to bury the hatchet. I don't know if we'll ever be completely comfortable with each other. I don't think I want to be comfortable with… that thing that you are. Those scales must be uncomfortable. But, I know that Lilly has good reason to trust you and I don't want us to be enemies any longer. What do you say? Forgive and forget?"

I smile. "I never had a problem with you, Garth. You were never _my _enemy. Somewhere along the way, we just ended up on the wrong side of things. That's all."

"That's all," Garth mouths, apparently thankful that I don't go into it any deeper than that. With a single solitary nod, he leaves the cave.

But I'm surprised because, almost immediately after that, I see Humphrey trot in. Fun-loving as ever, by the looks of him – a wolf after my own heart. I wonder what he's doing here.

"You want me to go log-sledding or something?" I ask, as that's the only thing I figure he could want.

He shakes his head and then I notice his smile start to fade. "No… not exactly. I mean, close… but not exactly. I mean… what's a log-sled compared to that flying thing of yours? I really wish I had one of those. Could you teach me to build it?"

"No can do. You'd need special parts, like the ones I got. You just couldn't build it out of logs!"

"Too bad. Oh well, I figured that human technology might be a little beyond the resources we have in the valley."

Then he's silent for about three minutes. He just sits there in front of me, looking like he's trying to build up his courage. As I'm not, you know, a complete dork, I figure there must be something else he has to say.

"Is there anything else, Humphrey?"

"Is there anything… anything else? Uh, you bet! I was just… I was just wondering, what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"What's it like to be what you are. Not Phil, but the Green Goblin. What's that like?"

I can't help but doing a small Goblin laugh. Humphrey cringes, but only slightly. I say, "It's awesome. It's, like, the coolest life of all. You'd love it!"

He tilts his head from side to side. "Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I've always loved being an Omega. As far as I'm concerned, those Alphas take life too seriously."

"Even your future mate?"

"Why, she's the worst of the bunch!"

We both break out into laughter, though I'm careful to prevent mine from reaching Lunatic level.

Humphrey grows serious again. "But really, Phil. Is it really worth giving up the life of an Omega? That's a pretty great time, too."

I have to be amused at his idea. "Why should I have to give up one to get the other?" I say. "Why not have them both?"

"That's just not how the world works," Humphrey says. "You're either Alpha or Omega. One thing or the other."

"You sound a little like Lilly used to."

"Used to?"

"Not important. But what about Betas? They're neither."

Humphrey is at first flabbergasted by my brilliant response but he quickly recovers. "Yeah well, Betas are also only one thing. And they're far closer to being Alphas than Omegas."

I now start to grin deviously – about as deviously as I can be, which is quite a lot when I put real effort into it – and say, "Maybe I wasn't meant to be just one thing or the other. But maybe all things rolled together. Ever think of that?"

"I don't see how you could be like that. I mean, you got the jokers and the leaders. Simple as that!"

"Who says the jokers can't also be the leaders?"

Humphrey thinks about this for a moment. "I guess the same people who say an Alpha can't marry an Omega. You know, I think I'm beginning to see your point."

"Good. 'Cause I don't know how to explain it any better. I've never had a way with words."

"But you do just fine under that mask of yours."

I shrug. "What can I say? It just brings out the better part of me. That's why I do it, ultimately."

"The better part? You don't think that the Omega part is good enough?"

"Like I said, it's not about Alphas and Omegas. It's about knowing that you're something more than what people have always thought you were. And that's a powerful feeling. No lie, my friend, no lie. You must have felt that way before!"

Humphrey finally seems to understand what I'm saying. He nods in agreement. "Yeah, especially when they told me that Kate and I couldn't be mates because we were from different parts of wolf food chain. And then, I felt like so much more than an Omega when I brought her back to Jasper and then when we saved the pack from war and stampede. Then… then I knew that I was something special."

I nearly jump up and down, which is quite an accomplishment considering that I'm still sitting. "That's it! That's exactly it! That's the feeling I get every time I put this mask on and get on this glider. Like, at least for once in my life, I am special. I am better than what I thought I could be. And that is something I wouldn't switch for anything."

"Good for you," Humphrey says, sincerely. "I know how you feel. I mean, I was never anything like this, but I know how you feel. Me and Lilly, we're going to be the first Omegas to lead a pack and two of the first four leaders of the united pack. Yeah, we're pretty special. I think Lilly's folks finally got her to accept that."

"Oh, right!" I say. "I almost forgot. How did that go? I offered to go with Lilly, but it was something she felt she needed to do alone."

"It was rough at some points, I won't lie," he says with a serious face. But there's that hint of a smile returning. "She really upset her parents and Kate and Garth with what she had to say, but I think she felt better for saying it. And then, they discussed it and everybody came to an understanding. We pretty much all agreed that Kate and Eve and Winston might have been occasionally neglectful toward Lilly but that it wasn't for any lack of love or respect. It's just hard for Alpha parents to raise an Omega."

"I can just imagine."

"So, everybody agreed to pay her more attention in the future. And this is the first time that I've actually seen her demand it. Before today, I never thought she was cut out to be a pack leader – but now I'm reconsidering my opinion!"

I grin big. "That's my girl!"

"Yeah," Humphrey says with an excited nod. "You should have seen her, having the courage to tell her mother – her mother of all people! – that her parenting style had some flaws. And to stick with it until they all reached an agreement. It was amazing for someone as shy as she is."

"That is a change. And a good one at that!"

"Maybe she's becoming as big a lunatic as you. Next you'll both be sneaking onto the valley floor during Moonlight Howlings!"

"Like the man says, we lunatics are so drawn to doing weird stuff at the full moon! It's why we're luna-tics!"

Humphrey laughs a lot, much more than I thought the joke was worth. But if he wants to think of me as a great comedian, I don't mind…

He says, "Lilly said the very same thing! At least, she used to same pun!"

"I am rubbing off on her!"

"Uh-huh. You certainly are! It's really showing!"

He's silent for I don't know how long before adding, "You've changed her, Philip. She's better because of you."

* * *

**We hope you've enjoyed this peaceful little interlude. Because it's not going to last. That's because our next issue will have plenty of action as Philip Urich will once again find himself in the middle of a dangerous feud. The final part of this epic adventure finally begins when the Green Goblin is forced to confront "The Last Enemy"!**


	22. The Last Enemy

**Get ready for excitement as things really start to get dangerous in our next issue. Everything has been going pretty great for Phil, Lilly, and the Jasper wolf pack in general. Ah, but such things can never last when you're an emerald icon. And that's a painful lesson that the Green Goblin is going to learn. It's the beginning of the greatest and most painful part of his heroic journey as he finally comes face to face with "The Last Enemy"!**

* * *

It's night, and I'm drifting off to sleep. Like the song says, another night, another dream. One of my many Goblinesque fever dreams. Except, here I'm not the Goblin. Nor am I fighting bad guys or rescuing people or any of that other hero jazz. No, here I'm just Philip Urich and I'm sleeping.

I'm sleeping? I'm sleeping and dreaming that I'm sleeping? Maybe, but not quite. If that sounds strange to you, and I know it would to me if I weren't already in a partial dream state (where the laws of logic are made to be broken), just think of it like this. I'm in that strange realm, that stroke of midnight, which divides dream from reality. This is the undiscovered country, the land where all-conquering reason and raging imagination settle on a truce. The cusp of two worlds.

And into this twilight comes a figure, a figure gleaming white. Lilly stands over me, her fur brushed fully back to reveal her stunning lavender eyes. Those eyes study me, cross my whole expanse. Her mouth is twirling into the slightest hint of a smile, and overall she seems very calm. Her large white tail swishes from side to side, slowly, like a pendulum-clock. Her ears are up, alert, hanging on every sound but her eyes reveal no sign of anxiety.

I make a move, a simple stretch of the leg, and those ears immediately pick up on it, reverberating with that strange noise. But she doesn't take her eyes off of me. I briefly wonder what she would look like now if she had her face covered by her fur. I recall, faintly, faintly, something. She'd have a face like… a face like… like… an angel.

But she's already an angel. At least she looks that way, with the calm light of the moon dancing around her head. She looks barely separate from the moon itself – maybe not separate at all. She's a lunar beauty… I'm a lunatic… perfect match!

She speaks, softly, slowly, but strongly. "Philip, Philip, listen to me. You need to listen to me. I don't know if you're awake or asleep but I hope you can hear me either way. You've done so much for me, shown me so much that I want to be, so much that I want to do. I don't know what I'd have done without you. You already saved my life, Philip, in more ways than one.

"I always knew that you were special. I always knew that you had something about you that was more than meets the eye. And then, then I saw it for myself. You didn't think I saw, you didn't think anybody saw. But I was there, Philip. On the night of the Moonlight Howling, I was there. Garth and I, we had our fight and I stormed to the other side of the mountain. Slowly, I made my way down the side, always looking down, always making sure I hadn't lost my way. And then, as I stood on a ledge not far from your cave, I saw it. A huge green being emerging from the cave, looking all over to ensure that nobody saw him. But he never looked up. He never thought to look up. And from that moment, I knew.

"I tried to deny it to myself and hid it from everybody. I told myself it was impossible, that my eyes were tired, that I must have imagined it. Silly girl, always imagining things. And I convinced myself that it wasn't real. But I always knew in my heart that it was. I always knew in my heart, from that day to this, that Philip Urich and the Green Goblin are one and the same."

I make to respond, trying to say anything at all. But I'm just too out of it. Out of it and preoccupied with a swarm of scorpion-bees that are attacking me in another dream. Go figure!

Lilly shakes her head. "No use, Philip. Nothing else needs to be said. I always knew and I had already forgiven you. Even when I hated you for revealing what I knew was true all along, a part of me was ready to forgive. That's why it came so easily. Philip, I don't blame you for being the Green Goblin and I want you to do what's best for you. If this is best for you, then go for it."

But now, her lavender eyes lock into mine (if you can say that eyes half-closed are every really locked into) and they suddenly flash this most unearthly shade of green before becoming lavender once again.

"Philip, you must listen carefully. The greatest challenge is not behind you. It is still coming and even now, it fast approaches. You shall not be able to avoid it nor escape it, so you must be ready to conquer it. Do not think that you shall simply be able to go in as you usually do and achieve victory; that way leads to death. You must be prepared, Green Goblin, prepared for the most evil of battles yet to come. For, if the Green Goblin falls, then we all fall.

"Remember that, Philip. You must remember. With great power comes great responsibility. And if the Green Goblin falls, we all fall."

"Lilly, wait!" I say as I reach out for her, my hand swishing through a lock of her hair. "Lilly, don't go yet! Lilly, stay with me!"

"No, Philip. My time here is at an end. You shall be on your own from now on. Only the Green Goblin can save Philip Urich now. Nobody else. Only the Green Goblin."

I try to force myself upward, but the dream is too much. My arms and legs are, like, paralyzed. I watch as she crosses the moonlit cave, seeming to glide on finest air.

"Lilly!" I say again, hoping to keep her here with me one last time.

She turns, looks at me wistfully. "Farewell, Philip Urich. Goodbye, Green Goblin. You are one and the same. Never forget that, never forget."

And, somehow, I fall back into sleep until morning. As I wake slowly up, the dream – if it was a dream – slowly comes back to me. What could it mean? If it's true, it means that Lilly already knew that I was the Green Goblin all this time! And if it's true, what did she mean by that line about the coming "most evil of battles." I don't know, but I don't like this no matter how you slice it. So, as soon as the full shape of things comes back to me, I bounce to my feet and run off to find Lilly.

* * *

"No, I wasn't in your cave last night," Lilly says when I find her. "Why do you say that?"

"I thought you were. I saw you, like, standing over me!"

"No, Philip, I was in my and Garth's den all night. You can just ask Garth."

"No thanks. I think we've had enough heart-to-hearts for one lifetime."

"But, if I was there, what was I doing there?" Lilly is curious, but also somewhat disturbed. I can't blame her. I certainly wouldn't want to find out that I'm wandering around other people's caves when I'm also fast asleep in my own.

"You said… You said… that you always knew. From the time of the Moonlight Howling, you always knew."

"Knew what?"

"You knew… you know what you knew! You knew about me being you know who!"

"You mean… the, uh, Green Goblin, right? How was I supposed to know about that?"

I try to collect myself so that the next few words don't come out too badly. "You said that you fought with Garth–"

"We did."

"And you left the party and you ended up on a ledge overlooking my cave. Then you saw the Green Goblin emerge and you, being the smart little wolf that you are, put two and two together to make four. That's basically the whole transcript of what you said, except that you said it with many more words and much better."

"No, I'm sure you said it fine."

"Maybe I did. I don't know. I was half-asleep. But… is it true? Did you know?"

Lilly's jaw drops. "Phil, I… I… Phil… How was I really supposed to know? I… I… I just don't think I could have seen anything like that and just forgotten it. I wouldn't have been completely oblivious, Phil."

"Yeah, I guess," I say. "Though I never said you were completely oblivious. But, did you have any…"

"Any idea? Maybe a suspicion… maybe an inkling in the back of my head, but that's it. I never really let myself think about it. So I never really allowed myself to consider that it might be you."

"Fair enough. Just a weird, weird dream. Oh, there was something else."

"What?" Lilly is moderately curious but I can tell the subject is starting to make her uncomfortable.

"Something about a great catastrophe, a great final battle, which only the Green Goblin can overcome. I don't know, but it's supposed to be the greatest challenge of my life thus far or something like that."

"Huh, that's weird. But I'm sure it's nothing. Just a strange dream, right?"

"Right… I hope!"

Lilly looks concerned. "Lighten up, kid!" I say. "I'm only joking! I'm sure it means nothing!"

I look up into the sky as Lilly searches me, neither of us believing I'm as certain as I say I am. I can't help thinking that this dream – it was so real! – must mean something. But what? But what? So what the heck am I supposed to do now?

"So, uh, want to go skip stones at the lake?" I ask.

Lilly perks up. "Sure, Philip!"

* * *

We're down by the lake, just skimming stones along the edge of the water. My aim has naturally improved, being who I am, but to my surprise, so has Lilly's. Her tosses have more dignity and grace than mine do, and we seem to be tied in distance. (I don't have my powers right now, after all.) All in all, it's been a peaceful week since that day when I went back to Goblining full-time. Is Goblining even a word? I can't come up with anything better. So, I guess so! That strange dream, predicting some sort of final struggle, is now just a bad memory.

Finally, as it gets to be about noon, we decide to head back to the mountain. Winston, Eve, and Kate still aren't big on trusting me, but otherwise I've become the talk of the pack. Everybody wants to meet me, to hear my story, to shake my hand with their… paws. I don't exactly get it, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy getting some reward for my services. Even if it is only the respect of a large band of Canadian wolves.

All in all, I feel pretty good about myself. Why shouldn't I? I know I should get back to civilization… and Jenny (shutter!)… but I just feel like I can't go yet. I want to make sure that there's no more trouble. And besides, I'm not slated to be back at the Bugle for another full week!

And then, out of nowhere, I hear a voice, "Phil!"

You can probably guess what happens next. Yep, it's Jenny, once again appearing out of the undergrowth right when I don't want to see her.

"Hide!" I whisper to Lilly, who gets the idea and leaps inside a small bush.

"Uh, Jenny," I say, "what… what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you!" Oh boy, as they say of another green man, I've made her angry, and I don't like her when she's angry!

"Looking for… for me?"

"Yeah! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you? You know how much I've had to worry that you'd gotten yourself killed? Or that you were lying in a ravine somewhere with no way of getting help? And the whole while, you're just skipping stones and hanging out with the local fauna! Must be nice!"

"Jenny, it's… it's not like that!"

"Oh no? Then why do you always say you're going to come back into town with me and then mysteriously disappear? Why do you always ditch me like that? Aren't I your girlfriend? Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Yeah… it does… but there's something else in my life. Something about me that you don't know."

"Something that justifies all this?"

"Uh-huh."

"Please! Nothing can possibly make what you did better. But if you wanted to, you could always explain…"

I shake my head quickly. "No, no. It's not… it's not something I really feel comfortable sharing with you."

She cocks an eyebrow. "Really, not with your own girlfriend? But you'll be happy to share it with that white beast?"

"Don't talk about Lilly like that!" I say, not being able to control myself.

"Oh, Lilly? It's Lilly, is it? Come up with that name yourself, did you?"

"No," I say, summoning up all my defiance for what I know is going to sound completely absurd. "It's her own name!"

Jenny shakes her head in disbelief and disgust. "Well, I'm going to solve this once and for all." She quickly reaches into her pocket and pulls out a handgun! A handgun! Where did she even get that? Is she even licensed?

Good question! Why don't I ask her? "Are you even licensed to carry that?" I shout.

"Nope. Not that it matters to you." She then removes the safety and turns the gun toward the bush.

And I know that I've got only one chance to get this right. Summoning up all the speed and power that I can, I lunge for her and the gun. I'm just a split-second on the money and the bullet just misses the bush.

And then Jenny cold-cocks me with the butt of the gun, and I land right next to the bush. "Philip!" Lilly shouts as she jumps out to check on me.

"Lilly, run!" I say, as I try to recover from the pounding pain in my head.

"No!" she barks back. "You didn't leave me and now I'm not going to leave you!"

She turns toward Jenny and – I'm not making this up – she actually growls! An honest-to-goodness growl. From Lilly, our favorite Omega! Whoda every thunk it?

Unfortunately, Jenny's none too impressed. Just as I feared, it actually gives her a chance to get Lilly right in her sights.

"I'm gonna shoot your little pet right between the eyes," Jenny says to me.

Wanna bet? Because, at that instant, as I'm still laid out with pain, I realize that there's only one option left to me. And it's the one power I never been more thankful to have.

"I'm gonna make you cry over this, Phil!" Jenny yells.

I grin as I cover Lilly's ears as best as I can. "And why should I cry… when I could laugh?"

**_HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!_**

And as Jenny's paralyzed with pain, I jump up and smack her one across the face. She falls backward and the gun goes flying into the water.

"How could you, Phil?" she goes. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to hit a girl?"

I smirk as I stand over her, Lilly at my side. "Yeah, but that only applies to ladies, a category which definitely excludes you! Y'see, Jenny, I'm dumping you!"

And I pick her up and lightly toss her into the lake, where she floats along the shallow end.

"Literally! Hahaha! And if you ever so much as threaten me or these wolves in Jasper ever again, I will make you wish you were dead! And that's a promise! Hahaha!"

Oh man, strike up another one for the Green Goblin!

Lilly looks up at me, her eyes filled with relief, even if she's a little stunned from the Lunatic Laugh. "Phil, I thought for a moment that we were… even though you are… that we were…"

"I know, kid, I know." I say. "Come on, let's get back to your parents before they get too worried."

And we set back out, giving crazy Jenny no more of our precious thought.

* * *

The scene that greets us isn't very pretty. As we walk up the mountain slope, it becomes obvious that something is very, very wrong. Panicking wolves are running in all directions, as if there was a wildfire right on their tails, or something. I look at Lilly, she looks at me. We know that something's wrong. We both start running up the slope, as fast as we can. But it's not long until we see Can-do running toward us.

"Can-do!" Lilly says. "What's wrong? Why is everybody so frightened?"

Can-do stops right in front of me. "We need you, Green Goblin. Jasper Park is under attack!"

"What?" me and Lilly yell together.

"By who?" Lilly says.

"I didn't get a good look. But it's definitely somebody human. Winston and Eve were caught in the first blast."

"Mom! Dad!" Lilly yells. She runs off and I chase after her. Can-do blocks me. "I think it would be better if you became the Goblin first. Don't worry, I'll look after her."

I nod. He's right. I head off for the Goblin cave while he runs after Lilly.

* * *

Lilly reached the top of the mountain, ignoring Can-do's calls for her to stop. As she got there, she saw Garth, fallen on the ground.

"No, Garth!" she yelled as she ran over.

Hearing her, Garth forced himself to his feet. He was obviously in pain but he wanted to hide it from Lilly. "I'm fine, Lilly. I'm fine."

"You're not fine, those are burn marks all over your fur!"

"I'll live, Lilly. I'll live."

Lilly tried to look over Garth's burns but he pulled away. She was persistent. But then she remembered her parents. "Where are mom and dad?"

"Lilly," Kate said, walking up on Humphrey's shoulder. She too had a number of burn marks. Even Humphrey did, though his were considerably less severe. "Lilly, it's mom and dad…"

Lilly ran to her. "What happened to them?"

"They're both… they're both… I don't know if they're going to make it!"

"Where are they?" Lilly's voice was unexpectedly forceful. But Kate did not hesitate to answer. "In… in our den… I mean… in their den. Hutch and Can-do moved them there."

Lilly took off down the slope of the mountain. Garth, Kate, and Humphrey tried to follow, but with their burns they were unable to get far. Lilly soon outpaced all of them as she took the long, winding path down to the cave in which she had grown up. Finally, she saw it and she saw the tall figure of Hutch, himself covered in burns, wearily standing guard.

"Hutch!" she yelled. "Are they alright?"

Hutch, despite looking very tired, seemed surprised to see her. Mustering all the strength he could, he rushed in front of her. "Lilly, I don't think you should go in there. Your parents wouldn't want you to see them like this."

This did not have the effect Hutch intended. It simply enraged Lilly. "Hutch, get out of my way."

"No, Lilly, I don't think I should do that. It's for your own good."

"And how do you know what my own good is?"

"It is my role. I am a Beta and you are an Omega."

"And the future leader of this pack! That goes beyond being Alpha or Beta or Omega! And I order you to stand aside!"

Hutch thought for a moment and then nodded, resigning himself to the fact that Lilly could indeed give him orders. He knew it was a theoretical possibility but had never expected it to actually occur in practice. Lilly wasted no time in rushing past him and he watched her enter the cave. He shook his head in remorse for what he'd knew she'd find.

Inside where Winston and Eve. Their fur was heavily black, for they had obviously been caught very near to the first blast. Lilly did not understand what that could mean, how there could be such a blast on the mountain-top, but she knew it could not have been an accident. She nudged at both her parents with her nose and received no responses. She licked at their faces but there was nothing. "Mom, dad… it's… it's me, Lilly. Please wake up," she said, but there was no sign of recognition at all. Only occasional anguished sighs and tilts of the head, as though they were in some nightmare, suggested to Lilly that they were alive at all.

Lilly started to cry. Tears fell uncontrollably from her eyes. They fell on the seared manes of both her parents, slowly dripping down into their faces. Yet there was no response. Lilly had always been used to her parents trying to cheer her up when she started to cry but now their complete inability to do so made her cry more, until the tears were coming down like that first Flood which cleansed all the world of sin.

"Please, wake up! Mom, dad, wake up! I… I need you… I can't survive without you! I don't know how!"

She felt a paw on her shoulder. From the roughness of the heavily-beaten boot, she could tell that it was Hutch.

"What happened, Hutch?" she said, trying to hold back her tears.

"Lilly, I…"

"What happened?"

Hutch sighed. "We were all up on the mountain for a meeting of the pack leaders. We were going to invite you, but we learned you were a long way off at the lake. It's just as well, given what happened. When we came together, Winston and Eve climbed on the big rock and began speak. Suddenly, there was an explosion from under the rock. It only really touched Eve and Winston but then, suddenly, we were all attacked from behind by this electric stick. I did not get a chance to see who it was, other than her arm, as I was hit first. But then when I came to, Kate told me and Can-do to bring her parents down here."

Lilly burst into tears again. But then, she felt them becoming very warm, almost hot. Hutch tried to pull her away but she would not go. Her little mouth curled into a snarl and her beautiful eyes burned with anger. She turned to Hutch and he had to step back, startled by the wild half-mad look in her eyes. "Hutch, when we find out who did this, I will _personally_ claw open their chest and tear out their still-beating heart before shoving it back through their ribs!"

Hutch had never heard Lilly sound so much like her mother. And he did not like that her mother always insisted on such assurances of violence. And he certainly did not like it coming from innocent, peaceful Lilly.

But now another voice, feminine. Very feminine and very, very evil. "Oh, you'll get your chance sooner than you think, honey!"

Lilly and Hutch both turned in shock to the doorway. Standing there was a human woman, dressed in a simple tracksuit and a long overcoat. She was tall and thin, with a light but strong build. Unruly pink hair fell all around her face, with a large swath of bangs covering her left eye and that whole side of her face. But the other side of her face was positively beautiful. A lean curved cheek and large lips were crowned with the presence of a large green eye, with eyeliner coming down as in the Egyptian style. The eye might be quiet beautiful if not for the look of madness within it. Otherwise, she had the face of an angel.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but this family reunion has been canceled!" she says as she draws up her right arm, in which there is a giant black rod, glowing blue at one end.

The rod begins to glow even stronger as she points it directly at Lilly. But just as it blasts a bolt of electricity, another bolt hits her hand, sending the black rod flying.

Lilly and Hutch looked behind her, though they already knew who must be there. The woman apparently did not need to be informed either, for a look of absolute hatred had formed over her once-serene features.

Hovering on the bat-glider behind then was the Green Goblin. "Hahahaha!" he cackled.

* * *

**Who is this new enemy? What does she want, what is she looking for? What's her plan to get it? And, most importantly, what history does she share with our favorite insane hero? Clearly, she poses a threat the likes of which the wolves have never encountered before, but maybe this is an enemy** **even the heroic Green Goblin cannot stop! The only way to know for sure is to keep reading as we get a better look at "The Face of A Fallen Angel"!**


	23. The Face of a Fallen Angel

**It looks like a showdown's coming as the Green Goblin faces an old enemy from his past. Who is she and what relationship could she possibly have to our unlikely hero? There's one thing for certain, it can't be good for the wolves of Jasper Park. Now, the whole pack will know a new enemy, one with "The Face of a Fallen Angel"!**

**Author's Note: Okay, here's another big spoiler chapter for the _Green Goblin _series. There's a lot of detail about the Green Goblin's final battle with his archenemy just before losing his powers. While revealing this probably won't detract from the comic book too much, I thought I'd just mention it.**

* * *

Looks like I arrived just in time. If I had been a second later, I hate to think about the consequences. But then, I hate thinking about what's right in front of me, so maybe I'm not the best judge of things like that. But, like I said, I really don't like what – or should I say who? – is standing before me.

"Angel Face," I say. "Long time, no see."

She smiles cruelly. "Yes, Goblin. Long time and no see. But we're going to get reacquainted very fast."

"Yeah, as I take you down to the local loony bin! Hahaha!"

"If there's anybody who should be going to the madhouse, it's you, my bat-gliding friend. But don't worry, I've got other plans for you."

"Hahaha! In case you haven't noticed, lady, I'm the one with all the toys. You're little glow-stick isn't going to help you much when it's just lying against the cave wall there."

Her grin grows wider. "True, but luckily, I brought back-up…"

Back-up? Why don't I like the sound of–

Yeeoouuch! I'm sent tumbling off my glider by an electric shock to the back. Looking up as I land just front of Lilly, I see that Salt and Pepper (Angel Face's favorite pair of goons) are there, also carrying shock-sticks.

"That's a cheap shot!" I say.

"Big words, coming from a man who has to use a glider and personal explosives to make his point," Angel Face mocks.

"Oh, I'll make my point, sure enough!" I say. I reach into my bag of tricks and throw a couple of razor-bats her way. Angel Face easily dodges, but Salt and Pepper are not so lucky, as both of them are cut across the arms and lose the grip on their sticks. But Angel uses the distraction to swoop down and pick up hers.

I get to my feet. "Come on, angel. You don't really think I'm frightened of your little toys, do you? They're, like, so lame! Mine are much better!"

"Blubber all you want, Greenie," she says. "I'm the one who's going to triumph in the end!"

"Yeah, right. Have you forgotten something? Like, the fact that I'm the Green Goblin and I rock?"

She laughs sickeningly. "We shall see about that, in due time."

"Due time nothing, Angel. The Green Goblin collects his dues now!"

She shakes her head. "No, the time for settling accounts hasn't come yet. I'm not quite ready to destroy you yet but – eeecchh!"

Angel Face goes flying, the recipient of a stunning pumpkin right in her precious face. "Turnabout is fair play," I say.

However, I guess my pumpkin hit off-center or something, because she only seems winded, not dazed. As she returns to her feet, she says, "What, you thought I was foolish enough to go into battle without having fully inoculated myself to your weapons? Oh no, I've learned from our encounters. A little formula of my own devising ensures that we are more than an even match now."

My glider zooms down and I jump aboard. The thing sputters a bit, so I smack it with my fist to keep it going. I zoom toward her. "Listen, Angel, we are not even close to being a match. If you want proof, take this!"

A gas-ghost goes flying in her direction, covering the cliff with green smoke. But to my surprise, she somehow manages to aim clear from inside that fog and shoots me back off my glider. She steps through the mist and stands over me.

"Your proof isn't very convincing," she says as she points her stick straight at my head.

But I'm not going down yet! I swipe her feet, knocking her to the ground as well. Then I grab for her stick, while she responds by gripping it tighter and trying to force my hand off of it – mostly by repeatedly punching me in the face!

I can see this is not going to go my way. She doesn't have strength like mine, but she's distracting me from using it. Hey, I've just always found it particularly hard to concentrate when being punched in the face! Some call it a weakness, I say it's a survival skill.

So, instead, I decide to do the next best thing. Using all the strength I can muster, I squeeze at the shock-stick and manage to cause the shaft to crumble, leaving the stick unable to function. Angel Face screams with rage when she realizes what I've done.

But now I've got more troubles, as Salt and Pepper have recovered their shock-sticks and are pointing them directly at me. Not good!

But then I see a flash of white and then gray light. When I look again, I see that Lilly and Hutch have pounced upon and thus immobilized my two foes.

"Atta girl, Lilly!" I shout.

Lilly looks proud, but Hutch remains stern-faced. "What about me?"

"Uh… atta boy, Hutch? I don't know, man. We never particularly bonded so I don't feel all that comfortable with it."

"Fair enough."

But Angel has one last trick up her sleeve. She jumps to her feet and starts to kick me while I'm down. I topple over a few times while Lilly and Hutch rush to my defense.

"Stay back," I tell them as I get up to one knee. "I can handle her!"

And then a kick to the chin sends me crumbling down again.

"I can see that," Hutch remarks coolly. "Tell us when you are done handling her so that we can come in."

"Very funny," I say between kicks to the forehead as I fight my way up. "So funny, in fact, I think I have to laugh."

And to my surprise, even before I can actually, you know, use my special power, Angel Face pulls back and covers her ears, as though she's already in pain. I take the breather to get up and, with a shrug of the shoulders, I walk up to her and deliver a right hook. Angel Face falls onto the rocks, defeated.

I hop back on my glider as I pick her up. "Now, tell me Angel. What exactly is a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

"Nosey, nosey," she says. "It's really none of your business."

"Okay, mind explaining why you aren't dead?"

"Please, as if one little explosion would be enough to do me in! I easily took cover when you blew up that warehouse. I hid in a safe place under the docks and then escaped after the cops had scrammed. Only takes common sense, really."

"I blew up that warehouse? It was you and your crazy firing of that shock-stick that set it off!"

"Let's agree to disagree."

I shake her. "Let's not! Now tell me, what's this all about? Why are you attacking these peaceful wolves? What did they ever do to you?"

"Can't the Green Goblin figure it out? The self-proclaimed _Most Maniacal Super Hero of All?_"

Self-proclaimed? What does she mean self-proclaimed? That title first appeared in Uncle Ben's column! Sure, I was the one who suggested it to him, but she can't know it's self-proclaimed. Unless…

She smirks, a very evil smirk. And I mean a very, very evil smirk. The type you never want to encounter in any life. "Don't you already know what I'm doing here, Philip Urich?"

I actually gasp. I mean, I really gasp as I drop her to the ground. She's not happy about the treatment but, as she gets up and dusts herself off, it's clear she's not going to give up her new advantage.

"That's right. I know who you are. It wasn't really too hard to put the pieces of that puzzle together. After all, out of all the big journalists in New York City, the new Green Goblin seems only interested in appearing to a certain Mr. Ben Urich of the Daily Bugle. It is Ben Urich who chronicles all of his exploits and the Goblin himself does his best to make sure that Urich is the first on any story. So, as you know, I naturally assumed that Ben Urich was the Green Goblin.

"And that turned out to be so wrong. Because I went into that warehouse thinking that, and I never even considered that bringing Ben's incompetent nephew with me as a bargaining chip might not be the best idea. Of course, I didn't yet know that Ben Urich's incompetent nephew was in fact the Green Goblin. I learned, however, in time. I spent many a night trying to piece together what went wrong with my full-proof plan. And then it dawned on me; the Green Goblin was Urich, but not the Urich I had thought. No, his simpering nephew was the one who stole the Goblin identity and started using it for his own purposes. Thinking back, I really should have figured it out, given how incompetent the Goblin himself always had been."

"Bag that noise!" I say. "The Green Goblin is awesome!"

But otherwise, I'm too stunned to do anything. I always tried to stay away from these psychopaths in my heroic career for this very reason. You never know when one of them is going to uncover your secret identity and make your life a real misery. Keeping my distance brought a measure of much needed protection. But now that Angel Face knows that I am the Green Goblin, that all flies straight out the window!

"Fine, Angel, so you know who I am," I say, mustering up what courage I can. "It doesn't scare me. I can still take you down easily."

"Then why don't you try it?" she says. "At another old warehouse, one which you're oh-so-familiar with. The scene of your apparent resurrection. Come on down there tomorrow and we'll settle this score once and for all!"

"Hahaha! I'll be there!" I say. "You can trust me on that!"

"I'm sure I can," she says. "I'm sure I can. Toodles."

Hutch and Lilly start to chase after Angel Face and her hoods as they leave. But I hold them back. "This is my battle, not yours," I say.

"Then why don't you do something?" Lilly asks. "You have the perfect opportunity."

Angel Face, apparently hears because she takes something out of her pocket. "Oh, and Phil, sweetie, if you think about going back on your word, I've got my bombs planted all over this mountain ready to explode with a flick of this button. Tah-tah!"

I want to chase after her, but I'm not putting anybody's life on the line to settle this feud. It may be my fight somehow but it's nobody else's. I won't risk any more people getting hurt because the Green Goblin has a certain aversion to responsibility. But that doesn't mean I can't give one last parting shot…

Pulling a moon out of my pocket, I throw it at Angel Face, hitting her in the cheek but doing no damage. She picks it up and glares at me.

"A little something to remember me by," I say with an evil grin. "You never know how I'm gonna getcha! Hahaha!"

She continues to glare but soon is out of sight. And I let out a sigh of relief, having once again survived a round with that psycho. But, then again, I still have to meet her tomorrow night…

So, what the heck am I supposed to do now?

Lilly looked at the Goblin. "Who was that?"

He continued to stare into the distance. "My best and dearest enemy. My archenemy, if you will. Angel Face."

"Angel Face?"

"Yep, and she's a real psycho. She's got it into her head that there's some sort of personal grudge between us and she won't rest until she's destroyed me. Fun stuff!"

"And she followed you all the way up here," Hutch said. "What did you do to make her so angry?"

"Beats me. I just foiled her attempt to extort money out of Harry Osborn's widow, Liz, and sent her to jail. I think it was the first time the forces of the law – or some strange approximation of them – actually nabbed her. Maybe that's why she hates me."

"You're not going to go through with meeting her at that warehouse, are you?" Lilly asked.

The Green Goblin nodded. "Gotta. I don't want her to come after any of you. This isn't your battle. It's mine, and it's about time I started facing my own responsibilities."

They stood in silence until they heard moaning coming from the cave. Lilly turned around and saw her parents trying to rise. "Mom! Dad!" She ran to them. Hutch and the Goblin turned as she yelled, and soon followed her.

Lilly stood over her parents. "Are you alright? I was so worried that I'd lost both of you!"

"Don't worry, dear," Eve said, trying to stand up but not quite making it. "It takes stronger stuff to kill us. But when I find out who did this, I'm going to remove their spinal column through their nose."

"We know who it was," Hutch says. "Or at least Phil does." He eyed the Goblin and took a step back to allow him to address Eve and Winston.

The Green Goblin did not hesitate. "It was Angel Face, my arch-enemy. She did it to get to me."

"Ha! I always knew something like this would happen!" The wolves and the green man looked to the cave entrance to see Kate walking in, now able to support herself again despite a limp, followed by Humphrey and Garth. "I always knew we were in danger by having you here! And look what happened!"

"Kate," Winston said. "This is no time to say 'I told you so.' What has happened has happened, no matter who was right or wrong. Now we must focus on how we shall respond."

"But Winston, she is right," Eve said, glaring at the Goblin, studying every piece and point of his costume as though looking for the best place to attack. "It really is all his fault."

The Green Goblin was not going to take this lying down. "What? Still not talking to me? Even after I saved your lives for a second time? Angel Face would have made you toast if I didn't show up to put a stop to things."

Lilly nodded in agreement. "And I helped."

"Yeah," the Goblin said, "she helped."

"So did I," Hutch said, once again without emotion but apparently not wanting to be left out anyway.

"Uh, yeah," the Green Goblin said. "Hutch helped too. So there."

Winston shook his head. "This must not turn into a shouting match over who is right and who is wrong. We must decide what to do about this new threat."

"I'll take care of it," the green man said. "It's my battle, not yours. Angel Face wants a showdown tomorrow and that's what I'm going to give her. That way, no matter what happens, you'll all be safe."

"Finally, he talks sense," Kate sniped.

"We lunatics aren't accustomed to it normally," the Goblin responded.

"But wait," Hutch said. "She said that she had bombs placed around this mountain. If she isn't stopped… if you fail to stop her, we could all still be killed."

"What do you propose, Hutch?" Winston asked, recognizing that his second-in-command was right.

"We should do something more. Somebody else has to go with Phil."  
"No!" the Goblin said. "This is my battle. Mine. I won't have anybody else getting killed because of me."

"And we shouldn't be," Kate added. "We shouldn't have to risk our lives for him. He's been deceiving us the whole time. So as far as I'm concerned, the Green Goblin can fight his own war with this other human."

"You do realize the awkwardness of saying the Green Goblin is a human, right? It's not that it's untrue, but it just doesn't sound good," the Goblin advised.

Kate snarled at him.

"I was just saying," the Goblin said.

"We should try to find these bombs," Garth said. "And then, if we cannot locate them, I'll lead a team of Alphas to the warehouse with Phil."

"Garth, he he, do you really want to do that?" Humphrey said. "You look bad enough as it is without getting any more electric shocks!"

Garth rolled his eyes at Humphrey's attempt at humor.

"He says it like it's a bad thing," the Goblin mumbled.

"Garth is right," Winston said. "This plan is best. We shall have our Alphas and Betas look for these devices and, failing that, they shall go to the warehouse with you, Phil. That is the best we can do."

"Hold up," the Goblin said. "What part of 'this is my battle' is everybody having trouble understanding? This is something I've got to do myself."

With that, he walked out of the den and mounted his glider. In a moment, he was gone, soaring into the blue sky above, leaving a trail of smoke twirling through the upper air.

"He is so self-important sometimes," Lilly muttered. "I'll go try to talk some sense into him." Without waiting for any agreement, she left the den and headed for Philip's own. She knew that, wherever he went, he had to be back sometime. And she was right. The Green Goblin was back sooner than she had expected. And she was ready for him.

* * *

**Things are certainly getting interesting! Not only has Angel Face, the Green Goblin's archenemy, forced her way into Jasper Park, but she also knows his secret identity! And now there's a date set for their climatic battle! The action's only going to ramp up from here as this weird adventure comes to a fitting climax! Up next, "More than an Omega - Redux"!**


	24. More than an Omega Redux

I had just gone for a quick spin around the mountain-top, trying to clear my head. It wasn't too hard, as I'm not exactly a deep thinker… or at least I think I'm not. I do have a lot on my mind. Everything seemed to be going so well, even in this strange society where I'm completely a fish out of water. But, because the universe cannot be allowed to see Philip Urich happy, this comes along. My worst… what? Worst fear? Worst danger? Worst experience? Worse thing in my life (except for the rent increase on my loft)? Yep, pretty much all of them. But, it's no use complaining. I've just got to face it.

And then an idea comes to me. Who says I have to take on Angel Face and her goons tomorrow at sundown? What is this, the old West? Do I accept the appointment to death just because the villain says so? Maybe someone honorable like Spider-Man or Captain America would do that. But I'm _the Green Goblin_, for crying out loud! I can do whatever I want. Nobody's looking up to me to be the standard-bearer of fair play for the Now Generation. What's to stop me from sneaking up on Angel Face and her little friends tonight and spoiling their party plans before the show's even begun? Yes, I know that's a mixed metaphor. No, it doesn't make the point any less valid.

That's what I'm going to do. Nobody has to die. I don't have to give the villain all my cards. This ends tonight!

And then, when I've decided this, I head back to my famous Goblin cave to prepare. And who do I find there?

Everybody who guessed Lilly gets a free round of drinks. Except, not from me (I'm a little hypoglycemic). Go find somebody else and have them buy the drinks. Preferably that guy in the back who said the Black Cat. Get your mind out of the gutter already!

Anyway, Lilly's there, much to my chagrin. She's obviously waiting for me. And that's not being egotistical; there is, like, no real reason why you'd want to come into this old den.

"Lilly, I'm not really in the mood to talk today," as I dismount my glider and start removing my gear. "If you could come back some other time–"

"Why do you have to do this alone?" Lilly says to me; her voice has just the right amount of accusation.

"I don't want any of this to spill over to you guys. You're all my friends now, and I can't put my friends in danger."

Lilly shakes her head. "No, Philip, we're already in this. We're deep in danger just because of what Angel Face has already done. You won't be saving anybody by getting yourself killed."

"I'll be fine. You know I can fight my way out of anything, he he. No one can stop the Green Goblin! Ha ha…"

Lilly smiles knowingly. "Then why are you so nervous?"

"Nervous? Moi? What makes you think I'm nervous?"

"You always laugh when you're nervous, remember."

I have to give her that one. "You're right, Lilly. I'm terrified."

"You don't have to be. You don't have to do this alone."

"It's not as easy as that, Lilly. I wish it was, but it's not."

"Yes it is," she says quietly.

"And why is that?" I'm really curious, not just being sarcastic. I want to know why she says that. Call it my unfortunate tendency to look for answers in a life that makes no sense.

"Because I'm going with you."

My jaw just drops. I don't know whether to be more shocked by what she said or that she was so calm in saying it. "You'll do what?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Oh no, you're not! I won't allow you to throw your life away for mine!"

"It wasn't a request, Philip. It was a statement of fact."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. This has got to be the craziest thing I've heard… other than what I or any other Goblin has ever said, mind you.

"Lilly, this is my battle to fight."

Her beautiful eyes peer into mine, seeming to dig into my soul. "No it isn't. It's ours. No matter how this got started, no matter who's to blame, we're all in now. This is my fight just as much as it is yours."

If she thinks I'm going to allow this, she's got a nasty surprise coming. "Lilly, you are not going and that is all I'm going to say. This isn't the place for you. Angel Face ain't gonna role over for a pair of gorgeous eyes and some turtle impressions."

Oops, I think I've struck a chord. "Is that all I am to you, a pair of gorgeous eyes and some turtle impressions? Is that all you think I'm capable of?"

Lilly seems hurt, though she's hiding it incredibly well. I have got to stop going for the turtle impersonations when I need firepower for the 'Lilly, it's too dangerous for you' argument. How would I like it if she criticized my special talent of looking like a bumbling incompetent no matter what I do?

Oh, you didn't know that was on purpose? Well, it isn't, but… it's still a talent in my book!

"No, Lilly, of course not. But… I just think it's too dangerous for you. I'm just concerned for your safety."

Lilly sighs. "Oh, that old excuse. For a second I thought you were actually going to be the first one to actually tell me I'm pretty much useless. That's what everybody's thinking, isn't it? So why doesn't anybody ever say it to my face?"

I put my hand on Lilly's shoulder. "It's not that you're useless, it's the danger–"

She pulls away and starts pacing around the cave. "The danger? The same excuse. Lilly, you can't go to Alpha school because it's too dangerous to play with all those big wolves. Lilly, you can't marry Garth because you could be killed in a war with the Eastern pack. Lilly, you can't stay out too late or go out of the valley on your own because who knows what could hurt you out there. Lilly, why don't you just sit in the back corner of the den and play with your tail all day, because that's where it's safe for you. Honestly, Philip, you sound just like my parents!"

"Maybe your parents were right!" I know that that's a mistake the moment I say it. Funny how that works…

Lilly glares and it's so penetrating that, despite everything, despite what I know I'm capable of and the friendship I know we have, I just want to crawl somewhere and hide. "My parents… were right? Really? This from the man who taught me to stand up for myself and not let them decide my life? The man who told them off for how they've treated me? The man who said I'm worth more because of who I am than my parents, sister, and mate combined? You're the one who wanted me to stop living like I'm just here to take up space, to stop being so controlled and so demeaned, to actually stand up for myself and make my own destiny. You're the man who taught me to want to be more than an Omega! And now, now that I actually believe that I am more than just an Omega, you want to tell me that I should be that meek and shy… and weak little wolf that I was before? Sorry, Philip, but what you used to say, that changed me, and you don't get to take any of it back!"

And… I can't answer that. I just can't. She's right. She's right in every way. And now I feel like I've been a real jerk to treat her like this. I'm terrified for her, I don't want anything to happen to her, but I don't have the right to tell her that this isn't her battle.

"Besides," she says. "They all said the same things about you. And look how wrong they were. I'm going to be pack leader someday and I need to start acting like it. With great power comes great responsibility."

"Alright," I say. "You're right, Lilly. You're right. You can come with me. As long as you're prepared to head out tonight."

"Tonight?"

I smirk. "What, you didn't think I'd just let Angel Face dictate the terms of our fight for me, did you? Nobody talks down to the Green Goblin like that and gets away with it!"

Lilly smiles. "So, what's the plan?"

"We go over there, sneak in, stop whatever Angel's got cooking, get out – hopefully at a reasonable hour – and return here before anybody realizes that we're gone. Got it?"

"But what do we actually do when we're in the warehouse?"

"Improvise! I can't think up some intricate strategy when I have no idea what's waiting for us there, can I?"

"Kate would."

"Then it's a good thing she's not coming, isn't it?"

Lilly giggles at my comment. It's infectious and soon I am giggling too. We sit on the floor together, happy as two kids with the latest must-have toy. You'd never know that we could both be walking to our deaths (or gliding, in my case) in a few hours. On second thought, that could actually be the reason we're both so giddy. Huh, interesting thought.

"You know we could both die?" I say to her in all seriousness.

"Yeah," she says softly.

"You've never thought about that before, have you? Death, I mean."

She hesitates a little but then answers. Her voice is almost a whisper. "Not as something which could happen to me, no. Kate almost died once, but other than that, it's never been a reality for me."

"Now it is?"

She closes her eyes and nods. "Now it is."

"Lilly, if you want to back out, it's not too late."

She shakes her head slowly. "No… no… I'm coming, no matter what it means facing. No matter what happens, we stick together."

I recognize that feeling, that determination. It's the only thing that lets me put my life on the line time and time again. Especially now when I have no idea if my powers are going to work on a given night or not.

"Philip?" Lilly says after a while.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Do you ever feel like this? Like death could be waiting for you? And it's not just something… something you can brush away… because it seems so real?"

"Every time I get on that glider, Lilly. Every single time."

"Then how do you deal with it? How do you keep yourself from giving into the fear?"

I think for a moment. "You accept it. You let yourself be afraid, but that doesn't mean you let the fear stop you from doing what you have to. No matter how afraid you feel, no matter what could happen, you just have to keep going."

"I… I understand. Just keep going."

"So, we're agreed?" I ask Lilly after she's had a chance to roll this around in her head. "We're gonna face this together?"

"Agreed." With that one word, Lilly composes herself, steadying herself for battle. Then I see something in her which I've only glimpsed before, something which is hidden even deeper than her courage and resolve but something just as real as either. Maybe only noticing it for the first time, I see something else in her; dignity. The dignity that arises from the quiet realization of her own inner strength. Her dignity is beautiful.

As I look at her, her calm, her strength, I feel my own spirits soaring. I know that together, together we can do this. Together, we can face our fears and together, we can defeat them! This I know.

I smile cheerfully. "Then there's only one thing left to do."

Lilly tilts her head. "And what's that?"

"Lilly," I say. "Let's go green!"


	25. Fears and Lamentations

**Here we go again! The world's strangest super-hero gears up to take on his nemesis, the devil lady with the face of an angel! But this time, the stakes are raised as the fate of the whole Jasper pack is in the balance! To make matters even more confusing, Lilly has decided to stand beside her maniacal mentor the whole way! But things aren't going to be so easy, especially when Kate gets wind of what's going on. How will she react when she realizes just what her sister is about to do? It's all in this issue, "Fears and Lamentations"!**

**Author's Note: If you've read my story "Kate's Lament," you'll probably be able to tell that it was based on this chapter. I couldn't help but wonder during the movie what was going through Kate's head when the war broke out around her so I added this in based on that Then I figured that I should do a general version that didn't require you to make it all the way through this story before you could read it. But I'm not thrilled with how "Kate's Lament" came out and I think I did much better here, so I hope it won't feel like a repeat to anyone who did read that story. And if you do read both, thank you for your interest anyway.**

* * *

It was now past nightfall. Kate ran back toward her den, having explored the whole valley with the other Alphas looking for the bombs. They had managed to find two and unload them in a nearby lake, but they knew that many more were hidden away from them. What was worse, the two they had found were near the borders, in peripheral areas that few wolves bothered to tread. That meant that all the bombs that could actually do damage to the wolf population were still hidden. And Kate was running out of places to look.

Then, as she ran past the formerly abandoned den, she saw Lilly wandering toward the entrance. She knew that Lilly was probably there to talk to Philip, but she didn't like the idea of her sister being out so late when danger was all around.

"Lilly, what are you doing here?" she said.

Lilly looked shocked. She had not been expecting Kate. "I, um, I was just coming to say something to… to Philip. Nothing much, really."

Kate shook her head. "Lilly, I can tell when you're lying. I'm your sister, remember?"

Lilly smiled sheepishly. "What… what makes you think I'm lying? I really am just coming to see Philip. Since Garth is busy trying to find those bombs, I don't have any other company."

"I just don't think you should be out of your den right now. It could be very dangerous around here."

Something changed in Lilly. Kate couldn't say what it was, but she knew that Lilly was different somehow. Lilly said, "Like it wouldn't be dangerous in my den? You don't know that they didn't put a bomb there. Besides, those won't go off until tomorrow."

"We don't know that for sure! And even if it's true, they might still go off accidentally! You could trip one of them off!"

"Because I'm just so clumsy?"

Kate realized she had made a mistake. "Lilly, I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah, you did."

"No, it's just that… I told Humphrey to stay inside, too, you know. It's not just you. I'm… I'm just more trained for this sort of thing."

Lilly shook her head. "No, you're not, sis. I don't think they taught bomb location in Alpha School."

"No, but I think it's definitely going to be in the curriculum after this."

Both sisters chuckled.

"But really," Kate said, "I don't like you being out of doors. Especially not with _him_."

"There you go again," Lilly responded. "Treating me like a child."

Kate smiled, trying to apologize that way. "I know, but it's just so hard. You are my little sister, after all. I guess I'm just protective. But I don't think you're in good hands with Phil. I really don't."

Lilly grinned, though it seemed to waver a bit at the sides of her mouth. "You don't know him like I do. Phil would never get me into anything dangerous. He would never put my life at risk."

Now Kate thought that she was definitely lying. Lying either to Kate or to herself. Lilly knew that she wasn't.

But Kate saw that there was no more point in arguing. "Okay, Lilly. Go see Phil. But be careful. That's not me acting like you're a child. That's advice from one sister to another. Be careful."

"Don't worry, I will," Lilly said as she began to enter Philip's cave.

"On second thought, I might just follow you in," Kate said, "just to be safe."

Lilly gave her a harsh look, one that chastised her for thinking Lilly couldn't walk two feet on her own, but something was bothering Kate. She didn't like this, she didn't like any of it. She knew that something was up.

Lilly continued and, much to her annoyance, Kate followed on her heels. Lilly had just finished securing everything for the night's adventure and had been so proud not to have let any of her family know what was going on. And now it seemed as though everything was about to go down the drain.

Philip was standing in there, half-dressed in his Goblin gear. He had his green pants and purple loincloth on, but from the waist up he was naked. He noticed Lilly out of the corner of his eye.

"Phil…" Lilly said, trying to warn him, though she knew that Kate already had seen what she saw.

"Lilly, please," Philip said. "I'm, like, half-naked here. Can't a guy get a little privacy?" And he turned away from her, apparently not noticing Kate was right behind her.

"Phil…"

"You know, kid, the more I think about it, the more I like this idea. You and me together, roughing it, putting the hurting on Angel Face and her thugs. That's gonna show everybody what we're worth!"

Lilly looked nervously toward Kate, who was glaring at her with an "I-knew-you-were-lying" look in her eye. But Kate didn't want to say anything. She wanted to give Philip enough rope to more fully hang himself. Kate was nothing if not generous that way.

Philip continued, "I know that it's a good idea. Hey, it might be the best idea I ever had! I may be getting the hang of this super-hero thing after all!"

"Not likely," Kate whispered through clenched teeth.

But then, Philip suddenly seemed to become depressed, dejected. "Then why can't I get rid of this feeling like I'm going to get myself killed tonight? Why can't I get that to go away? I just… I just feel so afraid of what could happen…"

"Phil, I think you should–" Lilly began to say but Philip cut her off as he continued to dress.

"I know, Lilly, you're scared too. But this is, like, your first time doing something like this. I've done it countless times before. And you'd think that by now I would have gotten used to risking my life. But somehow, this feeling, this fear, never goes away. I just don't know why."

Lilly looked to Kate, who seemed impatient, waiting for Philip to get to the point. But perhaps Kate's gaze was not as harsh as it had once been. Perhaps there was something more in her eyes now.

"I don't know… I just don't know. I mean, I love being the Green Goblin. I can't deny it. I love this. But… every time I have to do this, I just want to curl up somewhere and hide. I'm just so terrified, I don't even feel like I can get back on that glider tonight. Man, if only your sister was here."

Lilly gulped as Kate guffawed.

"If Kate was here, you know she wouldn't be afraid. She's not afraid of anything. She can go into battle cool as a cucumber. There's no such thing as fear in her."

Kate thought about this for a moment, but Philip continued speaking.

"Me, on the other hand, I'm all nerves. I could never be like that. I could never be Kate. I'm always going to be terrified, always going to be afraid. It's easy for someone like Kate to do this stuff. Me, not so much.

"But, no matter how much I just want to pretend like this stuff isn't happening, no matter how much I just want to run and hide so that Angel Face never finds me, I know that I'm going to get back on that glider tonight. I can't let you or your family and pack suffer for me. I just can't. I won't let anybody else be hurt because of Angel's sick game. No, I know what I've got to do. No matter how scared I am, and I'm, like, nearly shaking, I know I'm going to go down to that warehouse and I'm going to give Angel Face the fight of her life. I can't stop being afraid, but I can't let that fear rule over me. There are more important things than being afraid."

Philip had finished dressing. He slowly picked up his Goblin mask and lowered it over his head, pulling the hood up over it as he did so. "Tonight, I'm going to face my fear. We're going to face our fears together. No matter what happens, this is what we have to do. This is the only way we're going to fix this. It's okay to be afraid, Lilly, but there comes a time when you can't let it control you anymore. And that time is now. The Green Goblin will not be controlled by fear! Hahahahaha!"

And then he turned around. "Whoa, Kate, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Kate said slyly.

"Kate, don't be upset…" Lilly said, though she knew it was in vain.

"Why would I be upset?" Kate said with mock sweetness. "Just because this madman is leading my sister to her doom? Why should that upset me?"

"Hold on, Kate," the Green Goblin said. "It's not like that!"

"Isn't it, though? My sister's crazy about you, and she'd do whatever you told her. You know that as well as I do."

"It's reaalllyyy not like that!"

"It is!"

"It isn't!" Lilly exclaimed. "I'm the one who chose to go. Philip tried to stop me, but I wouldn't let him. He's not the only one who needs to face his fears, Kate."

Kate shook her head angrily. "Lilly, you can't do this. I won't let you do this!"

"Who said you could tell me what to do?" Lilly said, raising her voice.

"I am an Alpha and your older sister!" Kate's voice was rising as well.

"And I'm as much a future pack leader as you are! You don't have the right to tell me what to do!"

"How dare you yell at your own sister!"

"How dare you treat me like a child all the time!"

"Ladies!" the Goblin said. "There's not need to let this escalate… Really, it's all just a big misunderstanding."

"Wait till I tell mom and dad!" Kate barked.

"Yeah, go tattle on your little sister, just like when we were pups," Lilly barked back. "By the time they get back down here, I'll be long gone."

Kate now turned toward Philip. "This is all your fault! Why can't you just leave her alone!"

Lilly grabbed her tail and yanked it. Kate turned around in pain, at which point Lilly jumped into her face. "It isn't his fault! I'm just tired of not doing anything to help out this pack! I'm going to be pack leader so I'm going to act like it! It's my responsibility, too!"

"But it isn't your responsibility alone!" Kate said, almost pleading with Lilly. "Nobody says you have to go out there and risk your life!"

"You don't need to say it! If you aren't going to let me do something for this pack, then you're telling me all that I need to know! If I can't be trusted by you, sis, or by mom, dad, or Garth, than this is what I have to do! Do you understand?"  
Kate paused. "I… I think I do. But I don't like it."

Lilly suddenly became calm again. She put her paw on Kate's shoulder. "I know you don't. But I have to do this. And this isn't because of Philip. I mean, sure it's his plan, but he didn't want me to go with him. But I insisted. I insisted because this is what I have to do. I have to do this for me. To prove to myself that there is something more than an Omega in me. That's why I'm going."

"But don't you know the risks involved?" Kate actually seemed on the verge of tears. In fact, a little one slowly streamed down her face.

"Of course I do. I could die, Kate, I know that. Nobody has to tell me that. But I still have to do this. And I'm as terrified as Philip, but I still have to do this. I know you're just worried about me, but I have to do what's right for me for a change. I'm sorry if you can't accept that, but that's the way it has to be."

Kate nodded slowly. "Then, I guess I can't stop you. If this is something which you have to do, then I won't stop you."

She then turned suddenly toward the Goblin. "If you let anything happen to her, you'll have to answer to me and to mom. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I do," he said. "Trust me on that. I do."

"Oh, and Philip," she said, "You're right about me. I wouldn't be afraid to do what you're doing. It's not in me to have fear in the face of danger; they knock that out of you in Alpha School. And maybe that actually makes you and Lilly braver than me."

She looked the Goblin squarely in his yellow eyes. "You and me, we both have a duty to fulfill, an obligation to uphold. But what makes us different is that, whereas I don't feel any sort of anxiety about what I do, you have to face fear whenever you're called upon to do it. I never think, when I'm actually facing danger, about how it could harm or kill me – I can't do that if I want to keep my wits about me. But you, you think about all that and you still do it, you still go out there. I was wrong about you, Philip, I was really wrong. You really are something special. And if you can teach Lilly to be like that, who am I to stand in the way?"

The Goblin smiled, as did Lilly, but neither of them spoke. Kate began to walk out but stopped suddenly. She turned around. "Though, even if I don't feel fear like you do, I still know what it's like to be afraid. I know what it's like to think about how my pack could be in peril because of something I did. I remember, when me and Humphrey were heading back to Jasper, I had a dream. I dreamt of our two packs fighting each other, an all-out war, with me standing in the middle. I dreamt that I was the cause, because I didn't get back in time, and now I couldn't do anything as my pack tore itself apart.

"And then, I got back to Jasper and everything was okay. I was set to marry Garth and everything was okay. But I couldn't marry Garth… because I fell in love with an Omega, with Humphrey. I just couldn't betray my heart, no matter what happened to the pack."

"Hey, Kate, I hear you," the Goblin said. "But everything worked out, right?"

Kate shook her head, but her eyes looked off into the distance, as if she was remembering something from long ago. "And, when I said I was in love with an Omega, and that I couldn't marry Garth, war broke out. A terrible war, a war like the valley had never seen before. Wolves fighting wolves, blood everywhere, Garth barely managed to get Lilly to safety, Tony and Winston were even fighting, and it was like the whole world had been turned upside down in a single instant. And all because of me. I don't know how long it lasted, but for me it felt like years. I just stood there, thinking about how it was all my fault. I had, for once in my life, followed my own heart instead of thinking about the good of the pack. And look what it did! It caused all of the things I was afraid of to actually happen!

"I stood there, and I saw my dream play out before me, and I knew that I had indeed been the cause of it. But it wasn't because I had failed to get home in time, wasn't because of some fluke. No, I had myself caused this – I had chosen this. I had been given two choices, and I had chosen this. And I wondered, wondered whether what I did was really right. How could I have been so selfish, I thought? How could I let everything I ever knew and loved be destroyed, just because of what my silly heart told me? How could I betray my family, my pack, the ideals of an Alpha, for Humphrey? No, not for Humphrey, for myself.

"What had I done? Wolves fighting wolves? What had I done? Brother against brother, friend against friend, two packs destined to fight until not a single wolf remained alive. And I had done this. I had_ wanted_ this. At least, I must have wanted it, if I had been willing to call off the marriage to Garth. I had chosen to plunge both packs into civil war, just so I could be happy. And who am I to be happy, when the good of the pack is at stake? What could possibly make it all worth this?

"Love? Is this what love causes? War? Then what good is love? What good is it if everybody has to die? That's what I asked myself. And yet, I couldn't… I couldn't stop loving Humphrey. I couldn't even think of marrying Garth. Maybe if… maybe if I had said I would marry Garth again, the war would've stopped. But I… just… couldn't! I did not love Garth, I could not spend my life married to him, so I had to… I had to let things happen. I couldn't stop myself.

"But really… what type of an Alpha am I if I couldn't control my own emotions… if I couldn't save the pack? Isn't that my purpose, saving the pack? How can I ever be happy, even with Humphrey, if that purpose breaks down? And how can I ever look at my reflection in the pools of water if I fail at that purpose… and if I fail because I chose to? What am I without that purpose? But what am I without Humphrey's love? Why did I have to be cursed with both a love of duty and a love for an Omega? Why couldn't the former be stronger than the latter? Or why couldn't the latter be strong enough that I no longer cared about the former? That was what I asked myself as I watched my whole world crumble around me."

There was a hush over the night as Kate finished speaking. Neither Lilly nor the Green Goblin knew quite what to say. Finally, the green man spoke. "Kate? How did… I mean, what answers did you come to?"

Kate looked at him, a sad, longing look in her eye. "Honestly, Philip? I didn't get a chance to. There came this caribou stampede. We caused it – I caused it. The war had frightened them into stampeding into the valley. And then I hated myself more than ever for not only causing destruction from within the pack but from outside it too. I mean, the caribou were supposed to be killed by us! They weren't supposed to kill us! But then they came down and in that instant, I knew it was all over. There would be no winners, just losers. And all because of me. Kate, the destroyer of packs, the killer of all wolves.

"And then, as everybody tried to get to safety, I found Humphrey. He had come back to me again. And everything just sort of clicked. Love, duty, honor, they all seemed like one. I didn't have to choose. Me and Humphrey, Humphrey and I, together we saved the pack from destruction. And then, I got stampeded. Literally, I got run down by the caribou. And I was sure I was going to die. The first time I had ever considered it as a personal possibility. But I wasn't afraid, you have to understand, I wasn't afraid. I wasn't being brave, either. I just knew that I deserved to die."

Lilly gasped. Kate could not bear to look at her. "It's true, sis, I knew that that was what should happen to me. I deserved it. I deserved it for betraying my pack, for nearly killing them all, I deserved it for failing to be the Alpha, the savior, of Jasper. I deserved it for falling in love with an Omega and I deserved it for not having the strength to overcome that love. I deserved it, maybe, for not letting that love save me and the packs from war. Maybe if I was better, smarter, I could have found another way to reconcile love and duty, love and honor, but it didn't occur to me until that moment, as me and Humphrey were log-sledding down to the valley floor. So, really, I had chosen death, chosen it as punishment for my sins. And I wasn't about to fight what I knew I deserved.

"And then, in the darkness, I felt Humphrey's body over mine and I felt him shake and tremble as the caribou's hooves beat into him instead of me. And then I heard, as it was all over, I heard his howl, and I heard yours, Lilly, and I heard mom's and dad's and Garth's… and then Tony's and the whole eastern pack and then all our pack. Our two packs, brought together in peace and harmony, all because of Humphrey's love for me. I couldn't believe it. Could this, everything I always wanted – _everything_ – have really come true because of what I did? Had I, when I thought I had destroyed my purpose, actually fulfilled it? I knew that I had, somehow I had, and that gave me the strength to hold on, to fight death, and to go on living. That's what brought me back from the edge of death. And that's why I'm here today."

The silence became heavy. All three were lost in contemplation as they considered Kate's narrative. It played over and over in Kate's mind, while Lilly remembered her own feelings of absolute fear and terror for her family and for Kate, and the Green Goblin, that great goodly man all guised in green, though about all the times when he had asked what is purpose was and tried to reconcile the differing aspects of his personality.

Finally, Kate spoke again. "The thing is… I've never stopped asking myself those questions. I've never found my answers, never been able to tell myself what it is that allows me to be a wolf of both love and of honor. And they haunt me. Sometimes, when Humphrey's asleep late at night, I just get up and sit outside our den and look at the stars and ask myself those questions. I don't know if I'll ever have an answer. So, instead of satisfying myself, I make sure that a situation like that, a situation where I'd have to choose between love and duty, never comes up again. And I've succeeded so far, but that's my greatest fear. I fear for our pack when necessary, but there isn't usually that much reason; things were pretty peaceful up until a few weeks ago. But, that fear that someday, I'll have to choose again, that fear never leaves me. It's there when I get up in the morning and it's there when I go to sleep at night. And it takes all of my courage to face it each day. But I know I have to. I know that facing it, living with it, overcoming it, is the only hope I have of ever answering those questions, of ever fully understanding who I am."

More silence, more thought. Finally, Lilly put her foreleg around Kate and hugged her. "Sis," she said, "I didn't know. Nobody knew. You've never said anything."

"No, I've never said anything," Kate said, looking down at her paws. "Not to you, not to mom and dad, not even to Humphrey. I just never thought that anybody else could understand. Until tonight." Her head turned upward, and she looked Lilly in the eyes. "You've never felt more like my sister, Lilly, than you do right now."

"You never felt more like _my_ sister until now," Lilly said, her eyes filling with tears.

"And that's why I won't stop you," Kate said. "I know what it means to feel like you feel. I feel that way all the time. And if you can find the answers that I never could, the answers about who you are as a wolf and a person, than I can't deny you that opportunity, not matter the risk."

"Well, thanks for your support," the Green Goblin said, startled by her approval. "It's really… appreciated."

Kate suddenly turned to him, or more like, turned on him. "But that doesn't mean I can't help! I'm not about to let Lilly risk her life alone. Neither would Garth or Humphrey! Let us come and we can help you. Together we can beat Angel Face. Together we can win."

The Goblin seemed uncertain but he nodded. "I… I really can't refuse more help. If I'm already 'endangering' Lilly's life, what's a few more gonna hurt? As long as you all understand the risks and the responsibility."

"You don't need to talk to me about responsibility," Kate answered. "And I know Garth and Humphrey will understand."

"Okay," the Goblin said. "Get them together and you guys meet me at the warehouse. I'll try not to get the party started without you. Who would have ever seen this team-up coming, the Green Goblin and his _Howling_ Commandos! Hahaha!"

The Goblin ran over to the large metal bat in the corner and jumped on, fastening the foot clamps around his boots. And, in a moment, the glider was roaring into life, shooting out of the cave, right in between Lilly and Kate who both were whirled around and could barely keep from falling over, and coming to a halt just over the cliff outside. "Bye, guys. I'll see you there!"

And as he turned toward the sky above, Lilly called, "Wait!"

He turned back to look at her, obviously surprised.

"But, you can't go now! You'll be all alone until we get there," she said.

"But if I don't go now, If I just hang around, somebody's going to get wise," he responded. "Time is, like, of the essence."

"He has a point," Kate whispered to her.

"But you need an extra pair of eyes and ears," Lilly said. "That's why we were going together."

The Goblin considered. "Yeah, but, like, we never did figure out how we were going to get there together. I mean, other than the glider, there's no real fast way there. And I know you weren't about to be up for that. But it's the only way anybody could accompany me now."

Lilly cringed at the thought of riding the giant metal monstrosity. Even though she knew that she had ridden the prototype before, she was thankful that she had been unconscious the whole time. Now, she dreaded nothing more that riding on this thing, fully aware of what was happening to her.

But what other choice did she have?

"I… I could go with you," she choked out.

"Are you sure?" he said, searching her face to determine whether she could was fully resolved.

"Um, I want to come… but not on that thing," Lilly said.

"It is the only way."

"I know, but…"

"I think you should come," the Goblin said.

"He's right," Kate added.

Lilly turned toward her, shocked. "Did I hear you right?"

"Hey, you're the one who said you wanted to start doing things for yourself, no matter the consequences," Kate said. "Here's the perfect opportunity to start."

Lilly looked from her sister to the Green Goblin and his glider. She didn't know what to do.

"Come on, Lilly," the Goblin said. "You want to be free? Free of all the restrictions, all the presumptions, everything that constrains you? Well, you'll never know what freedom truly is until you try this. You'll never know if you don't try."

"He has a good point,' Lilly thought. But she was still hesitant. "Oh, but I am tired of being afraid! Of not facing the world because I'm too shy and too scared!"

The Goblin leaned in close and held out his hand. "Come on, Lilly, take a ride with me!"

Without any more hesitation, she put her paw in his open hand.

* * *

**Well, who could have predicted this? An alliance between the pack's most headstrong Alpha and the world's strangest super-hero? Believe it, true believers! But how is this surprising team-up going to play out? As always, you'll just have to wait for our next issue to find out as "The Green Goblin Advances!"**


	26. The Green Goblin Advances!

**Angel Face is in trouble now! Because not only does she have to deal with the Green Goblin, but Jasper's finest are going up against her too! And it's going to be a battle for the ages! But first, they have to get there. You know the old saying that the journey is more important than the destination? Well, that may just be true as "The Green Goblin Advances!"**

* * *

The glider soared through the night sky, the Green Goblin cackling jovially as he held onto the edge of one of the wings for support. He had to do this because Lilly was sprawled across the central engine, holding onto the two metal bat's-ears for dear life. Her white face almost looked as green as the Goblin's and her eyes spun around woozily.

"Hahahaha!" The Goblin laughed as he pulled up the glider and made a giant loop around the moon.

"Phil, I think I'm going to be sick!" Lilly said as they came back down.

"Huh?"

"Could you please not do any more loop-de-loops? I think I'm about to throw up!"

"Okay."

Then the Green Goblin tilted the glider so that they were flying upside down. Lilly nearly fell off but he grabbed her as she went and held her close to him.

"Look at the whole of Jasper Park right under us," he said as he pointed as several large trees so many feet below.

"Can we please not fly upside-down?" Lilly said. "I'm getting vertigo."

The Goblin shrugged as he turned the glider back right side up. Then, all of a sudden, he pulled back hard and they flew upward, upward, straight through the cloud-cover and into the upper air. A small plane came toward them and the Goblin quickly sailed the glider over the top, grabbing onto the tail-flag and using it to propel himself back around. As he flew past the plane's cockpit, he waved at the pilot.

The pilot's mouth dropped and he let go of the controls, sending it into freefall. The Green Goblin zoomed downward and, with Lilly in one arm, he pushed up the plane with the other, allowing it to regain its steady course.

"What, never seen a Green Goblin carrying a white wolf and flying on a giant metal bat before?" the Goblin yelled as he watched the plane fly into a nearby cloud-bank.

"Philip," Lilly said. "Can we please go down? I don't like being this high up! Besides, I can't breathe!"

The Goblin rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I just thought it might be fun…"

The soared downward and, as they burst back through the cloud-canopy, the Goblin saw that they were now in the vicinity of the warehouse.

"It looks like we're finally there, kid," he said. He slowed the glider as they began to descend, placing Lilly back onto the engine, which she wrapped all four legs around like it was the only thing that would keep her safe. The Goblin circled as he looked for a place to land and, when a suitable area presented itself, he had the glider hover gently downward until it touched the forest floor.

Lilly immediately jumped off but found that her legs could no longer support her. They wobbled under her weight and she fell downward. "I think… I think my bones have turned to water!" she said.

"Nonsense," the Green Goblin said. "That's just the sensation from the flight. It'll wear off. Actually, I think you did really good for a first time."

Lilly, as she got up on wobbly legs – this time managing to stay up – tried to smile at the compliment.

"At least you didn't throw up."

The smile dropped downward, becoming a pained frown. Lilly quickly ran off, her shaky legs forgotten, and disappeared behind a wide tree. A second later, an unfortunate sound emanated from that direction.

"Spoke too soon," the Goblin said.

After a few minutes, Lilly walked out from behind the tree, swaying from side to side and with a dazed look in her single now-visible eye.

"It'll be easier to handle next time,' the Goblin said with a consoling smile.

"What… makes… you… think… they'll… be… a… next… time?" was the reply.

"Because, once you ride a bat, you don't go back! Hahaha!"

Lilly tried to shake off her feeling and looked around her. "Okay, what do we do now? Just go up to the warehouse?"

The Goblin shook his head. "No, no, that would give them too much of an opportunity to spot us. We need to know what we're going up against before we go in there."  
"So you want to scout them out. Should you go… or should I?" she seemed uneasy at either thought. Though that could simply have been her general queasiness talking.

The Goblin smiled deviously. "Who says either of us have to go?"  
Lilly took a break from looking sick to look confused.

"Watch and learn," the Goblin said. He reached into one of his bags of tricks and pulled out a little green and purple metal spider. He threw the thing onto the ground and suddenly, to Lilly's surprise, the legs started to move, picking the spider up. Soon, the little robot ran off into the forest.

"So… it's gone," Lilly said.

"But not forgotten," the Goblin said. "Or, like, out of contact. I'm sending that gizmo to the warehouse. It's gonna sneak in and send back a visual signal with what it sees."

"But how will we get that back?"

"I'll see it instantly."

"Huh?"

"With my mask. I've got a camera-screen in my mask. It picks up signals from my glider and those spider-things so that I can see what's going on with all of them."

"There's…. there's a camera in the glider?" Then realization dawned on Lilly. "That explains so much."

"The mask also allows me to send mental signals as radio waves to both. That's how I can control the glider when I'm not actually on it."

Lilly was speechless. "Wow…" she said at last. "That's… that's not like anything I ever thought could exist… especially not in Jasper Park."

"I know the feeling," the Goblin said.

Lilly felt a sharp pain well up in her stomach. "Excuse me for a minute," she said, trying to maintain a smile. Then she ran back behind the tree.

While she was thus occupied, the Green Goblin remotely maneuvered the spider into the warehouse. It crawled up the wall and snuck through a window. The Green Goblin smiled as he got a glimpse of Angel Face, Salt and Pepper, and to his surprise, Hotshot, Razor, and Turk.

"What are those three doing there?" he whispered. Then, louder, he said. "Hey, Lilly, check it out. I'm actually looking at Angel Face and her goons, like, right now!"

"That's… great…" came Lilly's voice from behind the tree, followed by more retching sounds.

"Yeah, but you're not going to like what I see… Yeeeaaaaaahhhh!" The Green Goblin fell to his knees in pain, clutching at the sides of his head. Lilly came running.

"What's wrong, Philip?" she exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

The Goblin took the sides of his mask in his hands and threw it off. It landed next to Lilly's feet. She sniffed at it, wondering what was wrong, but was driven back by a massive electric spark. "Yeeaa!" she said as she just managed to avoid it.

"There was a booby-trap or something," Philip said as he held his hand to his head. "It completely blew up the spider. That caused an electric backfire which filled my head with static electricity!"

"Are you gonna be okay?" Lilly said.

"Don't worry, kid," Philip said, trying to hide how much of the pain he still felt. "It's nothing compared to how my mask used to shock me. In fact, I think my powers might have gotten a little boost as it is!"

He picked himself up and then picked up his mask. Now that the electric charges had seemed to recede, he put the mask back on and was the Green Goblin once again.

"So what is it that I'm not going to like?" Lilly said quietly when she was sure he was alright.

"Oh, yeah," the Goblin said. "About that. It looks like Hotshot and his boys are back in town. And they're working for Angel Face."

"What?" It was not Lilly who spoke but Kate, coming out of the bushes with Humphrey and Garth. "So that's what he meant when he said he was working for a higher power!"

"I think so, Kate," the Goblin said. "Though it's nice to see you got the band back together."

"I still don't think Lilly should be involved in this," Garth said.

"Sweetie, I can do this," Lilly answered. "I'll be fine! In just one second…" She then ran back behind the tree and more retching sounds emanated. The three wolves shot the Goblin suspicious and even angry looks.

He shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me! It's not my fault. Okay, maybe it is, a little… Or maybe a lot… but how was I supposed to know she has motion sickness issues?"

"Please," Humphrey said. "I've always regretted making her go log-sledding that one time. That log was too wet for any of us to sit in again! If anything, I think you got the better end of the deal!"

Garth growled. "Could we please stop talking about my mate's bodily fluids?"

Lilly slowly shambled out from behind the tree. "Okay, I think I'm going to be okay now. I'm feeling a little better. And Humphrey, I wasn't the one who made that wet spot. I think Shaky's got some problems there."

Humphrey looked embarrassed as Kate and Garth laughed. "Well, that explains a lot, actually," he said at last.

"Garth's right," Kate said, "we need to get down to how we're going to handle Angel Face and her followers. What is your plan, Philip?"

"Well, in addition to goons, Angel's probably also got a ton of traps laid out for me. It's gonna be highly dangerous going after her. So, I'm think we'll burst in and just randomly flail about like we have absolutely no idea what we're doing until we get a lucky break that completely obliterates the bad guys."

All of the wolves looked perplexed. "Hmm," Kate said, "not much of a plan is it?"

The Goblin shook his head. "No, but it's what gets me through all of my super hero battles!"

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"That's just the way I roll! Hahaha!"

"I guess I'll have to think of something," Kate said, "but we shouldn't waste any more time. We're going to have some real difficulties if Angel Face figures out that we're onto her."

The Green Goblin remounted his glider and prepared to take off. "Coming, Lilly?"

Lilly turned away. "No, I think… I… think… I'll walk with the others from here." And then, suddenly, a gust of wind blew the fur from her right eye and she turned back to the Goblin. "Oh, what the hey?" She ran over and remounted the bat-glider, grabbing onto the engine and holding it tight.

"Just promise you'll be smoother this time," she said.

"Okay, if you insist," he said as the glider began to hover. In a moment, they were both gone as the glider swept forward and disappeared into the trees.

The three wolves watched them go. "I have definitely got to get one of those," Humphrey said.

"Not on my watch!" Kate answered.

"My future mate just went joyriding into the trees with a giant green madman," Garth said, "and I'm just standing here watching. I'm not on Candid Camera, am I?"

But they followed. Soon, they had reached the warehouse, where Lilly was sitting on the ground as the Goblin inspected the roof.

Garth ran up to Lilly. "Are you okay, sweetie?"  
"I think… I think I'll be fine, this time," Lilly answered truthfully.

Now the Green Goblin lowered back down toward them. "It looks like Angel's got electric-charged barbed-wire under the skylight, so no way in there. We already know she's got the windows tricked out in the same way. So that means… I guess… that the only way in is through the front door."

"She's really got this stuff planned out," Kate said. "What did you do to her to make her so… thorough… at trying to destroy you?"  
The Goblin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it's always me, isn't it? Blame the big green guy because he looks like a monster. That's fantasy-racial profiling, Kate!"

Kate rolled her own eyes. "I was just saying, you have such a talent for making bad situations worse. I just assumed–"'

"Yeah, you just assumed, because I happen to be loaded with C-4 and a number of other destructive weapons, that it must be my fault! Typical!"

"Well, you do seem to have the means–"

Humphrey jumped in-between them. "Hey, guys, I don't think we'll be very effective if our voices are loud enough that Angel Face and her patsies can hear us from out here! Unless we're purposely trying to get captured and killed. In which case, this is the worst date ever, Kate!"

"He's got a point," Lilly said as Garth nodded.

"Right," the Goblin said. "Okay, I'll lead, and you guys follow."

Kate shook her head. "No, with the odds stacked so much against us, we need some sort of strategy to win."

"Exactly. I'll lead and you guys follow! It couldn't be simpler!"

Kate gave everyone else a furtive smile. "Actually, I had another idea in mind."

* * *

**What's Kate got in the works? That may just be the most unexpected twist of all! And it's all next, as the Green Goblin finally goes into his greatest battle with his greatest enemy, a final fight to determine the fate of Jasper. Everything has been leading up to this and you don't want to miss a single second of the action as we head into "The Last Stand"!**


	27. The Last Stand

**The final battle begins! But that doesn't mean this is going to be a straight-forward beat-em-up. No, there are plenty of twists, turns, and surprises in store as our heroes try to save their home. Kate's got a plan, but plans might not be enough to defeat this most evil of enemies. In the end, it may even require one of our valiant champions to make the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. That's right, for someone, this is definitely going to be "The Last Stand"!**

* * *

Angel Face surveyed her dominion as the goons made the last preparations for tomorrow's battle. "Be careful with that barbed-wire!" she yelled. "I don't want any of it damaged before the Green Goblin gets his surprise tomorrow!"

Hotshot, Razor, and Turk limped around, all still badly injured from their last confrontation with the Goblin, but forced by Salt and Pepper to continue working.

"Hey, ma'am," Hotshot said, "maybe the Goblin isn't gonna show. He might be too terrified after what you did today."

Angel Face laughed. "Nonsense! The Goblin is too much of a bleeding heart to let his so-called 'friends' be blown up at his expense! He'll be here, and then he'll die!"

Suddenly, she saw the warehouse doors open and grabbed at the shock-stick at her side. She motioned for Salt and Pepper to wait on either side of the door and then blast whoever came in.

But just as the doors were opened enough, Kate pushed her head in and said, "Call off your lackeys, Angel Face. I'm here to open negotiations on behalf of the Jasper Unified Wolf Pack."

"Don't believe her, ma'am," Hotshot said. "That's the same trick the Goblin used before!"

"Yes, but before," Kate said, "he was pretending that we were going to surrender. What we're here for now is no such thing."

"Okay, girlie," Angel Face said, "then just why shouldn't I have Salt and Pepper blast you to kingdom come?"

"Because," Kate said with a devious smile. "We've come to give you the Goblin. You see, we're not here to surrender, but the way my parents see it, this really isn't our battle. So, why don't we cooperate to get that flying pest out of both our fur?"

Salt and Pepper awaited Angel Face's orders. At last, she waved them away from the doors. "Your offer intrigues me," she said. "Proceed in."

Kate pushed open the doors and walked in, followed by Humphrey, Garth, and Lilly. Kate strode proudly and smiled, while Humphrey looked uneasy and Garth looked stern. Lilly, her head and back bent down, looked both nervous and sorrowful. Her right eye was covered.

"That's enough," Angel Face said after they had gotten reasonably in. "Salt, Pepper, close those doors. You won't mind, I'm sure. Just a precaution."

"I'd do the same thing," Kate answered.

"Okay, girlie, what do you have to offer?"

"Kate, I don't think we should do this," Lilly said meekly.

"Shut up, Lilly!" Kate barked. "It's your fault we're in this situation in the first place!"  
Lilly sulked back a few steps.

Kate said, "Look, we know exactly what the Goblin's planning. He confided it all in Lilly here, so it's basically an open book."

Angel Face smiled. "The white female, I should have known. From what my agents have been telling me, the Goblin has formed quite the unhealthy attachment to her. But I thought wedding bells would be ringing by now…"

"Don't talk about Philip like that!" Lilly said. Kate gave her a stern look which sent her scurrying back.

"Don't worry," Kate told Angel Face. "She'll tell you all about it."

"Fine, just make her sing," Angel Face responded. "Or, if she needs some persuading, I'm sure Turk here would be happy to oblige."

"More than happy," Turk said darkly.

"Not so fast," Kate said, showing no sign of distress at this veiled threat to her sister's well-being. "You'll get that after you disarm your little bombs. That's the price for the information."

Angel Face considered. "I suppose that's a fair trade-off, but when have I ever been fair? Why shouldn't I just kill the three of you and then have the white one tortured until she spills the info? It wouldn't take much, as far as I can see. Maybe just a few thousand volts to her legs…"

"I want her first!" Turk bellowed.

"Yes, why not?" Angel Face said. "I'm in no hurry."

"You don't think I thought about that?" Kate said. "We've also got some added precautions. We did manage to find two of your little bombs, the one behind Ward Rock and the one buried in the Great Lesser Clearing. And if we go down, they go off, right next to this warehouse."

"I don't buy it," Hotshot said. "She's bluffing!"

"You want to risk it? Go ahead!" Kate said.

"But then you might be blown up too!" Angel Face said.

Kate smiled. "Well, if I'm going to die anyway…"

Angel Face paused for a moment, while Salt and Pepper awaited her orders. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, you win, girlie. I'll disarm my bombs. But if I don't get that info you promised, I'm killing you no matter the consequences."

Angel Face turned to a computer and began typing things in. At last, she said, "There, all done. Every last bomb is disarmed."

"Yeah, I'm not about to buy that without proof," Kate responded. "What evidence do you have?"

"You're right," Angel Face said. "I don't got anything to show you. But then I don't need to, because from my laptop here, I can see that those bombs are already disarmed and, more importantly, are at the bottom of a lake! There's no danger to me here."

"Kate, I think your plan's backfired," Humphrey remarked nervously.

Angel Face continued, "Now, the only question I have is whether I should use the threat of killing you as leverage to make whitey talk or if I should kill you and then threaten her with blowing up your whole home. Decisions, decisions, what is a girl to do?"

And then a voice from nowhere. "It's a tough call, Angel. Especially when you're a psychopath!"

"It's the Goblin!" Razor yelled.

"You!" Angel Face pointed her shock-stick at Kate. "You betrayed me! This has been a trap the whole time!"

"I couldn't really betray you," Kate said, "if we were enemies already. And if you were about to kill me. But don't go blaming me! You think I wanted this to happen?"

"Kate, I always said this plan was a bad idea," Garth said. "I knew the Goblin was on to us."

"Believe it, Garth," the voice says. "You guys must have a lower opinion of me than Angel Face over there. You thought you could just sell me up the river, just like that, and I would have not even the slightest clue. Well, I got news for you, nobody double-crosses the Green Goblin! You're gonna pay, all of you, for this!"

"E….even me?" Lilly cried out.

"Especially you, traitor!"

Lilly shivered as she heard that. Soon, she began to whimper and cower behind Garth, who himself seemed profoundly disturbed.

"Trouble in paradise," Angel Face muttered.

"Phil," Kate said, "you can't blame us for wanting to save our home! Whatever business you and Angel Face have together, it doesn't involve us. So we don't deserve to pay for your mistakes!"

"Girlie's got a point!" Angel Face said.

"Would you stop calling me that!" Kate snapped.

"How 'bout I shoot you through with electricity? After I get done with the Goblin." Angel Face started to shout into the rafters. "You see, Goblin, I'm prepared for you. And girlie may have led you here earlier than I anticipated, but that doesn't mean I'm not ready. There is no way you're getting in here except how I want you too! And that's how you die!"

There was a laugh, "Hahahahaha!" and then the voice said, "Like, don't count on it, Angel. Y'see, Kate's little Judas act has given me the opportunity to scope out your pad before you even knew I was here. More importantly, it gave me the chance to dismantle the traps along one of the back windows!"

Angel Face's face, the part visible under her long bangs of pink hair, filled with terror. But before she could respond further, a number of boxes came flying down not too far behind her. She looked just in time to see the Green Goblin tearing out on his glider from behind them and coming straight for her. All the while, he was letting out that horrible, shrill laugh.

"Hahahahahaha!"

* * *

Our little bait-and-switch works like, well, clockwork. Angel's so busy talking to Kate that she doesn't even notice as I dismantle each of her traps. Doesn't make dismantling them any more fun, mind you (I think I'd have first-degree burns if not for this Goblin suit!), but it will save all of our lives in the long run. But when the time is right, I do my part of the plan and play the scary disembodied voice. This leaves Angel and her goons really freaked out. And then, it's time for the big finale!

I burst through those crates, pumpkin bombs in each hand. Without all the air in my lungs, I belt out a brilliant Lunatic Laugh. Hahahahahahaha! I swoop down on Angel Face and give the fright of her life. She ducks down to the ground as I throw my two bombs into her laptop, completely obliterating it.

"You fool!" she shouts. "What if that had been the detonator?"

Oops…

"Come on, Angel," I say. "I knew you wouldn't put your bomb detonator in clear view. I do give you some credit, you know." At least, I hope I'm right about that…

"Very clever, Goblin," she says. Whew! "But not so clever as to avoid your own death!" And then, as I'm descending to grab her, she rolls around and fires her shock-stick at me. I'm forced to pull up to avoid the blast and I sail way over her. I look around to see what everybody else is doing. It seems like Salt and Pepper have finally got the gist and are coming for me. Hotshot and his bozos, on the other hand, are standing motionless. This is apparently a rematch they don't want to try.

And then I look at Kate. She gives me a cocked eyebrow. Oh, she's waiting for me to continue with our plan! No problem! Hahahaha!

I zoom toward the wolves with a malicious grin. As I'm just about over them, I shoot my finger blaster. Don't worry, I've carefully aimed it so that the electricity goes clear past them. But they know their cue. They all take off in different directions.

"Man, he's gonna kill us!" Humphrey yells.

"That's right!" I shout. "I said it and I'm gonna do it! The Green Goblin always keeps his word! Hahaha!"

Humphrey and Garth run straight toward Salt and Pepper, who are too focused on trying to hit me to notice. The wolves both leap, sending them down hard and knocking their shock-sticks far from their hands. Kate, for her part, runs for Angel Face. Angel Face is trying to get up but not for long, because Kate leaps and comes crashing down on top of her.

Go team!

What? What about Lilly? Oh, that's the good part. Lilly goes running toward Hotshot and the boys. Dangerous territory, I know, but this is not the time to be squeamish. And she isn't. She's, like, just acting that way right now. I set her in my sights and begin pursuit. As I swerve toward them, Hotshot and Razor head for the hills. But Turk is confused by the fact that Lilly is actually running away from _me_ and toward _him_!  
She puts her forelegs around his and leans in close. "Turk, you gotta save me!" she says. "He's going to kill me! But you're so big and so strong, you can knock his block off! You're my only hope!"

Turk is still confused. He looks from her to the rapidly approaching me. He doesn't know what to make of this complete reversal of roles. You know, I had at least expected him to do… _something!_ Give me a challenge here!

But no. No. He's just gonna stand there stunned. Okay, I can work with that. I fly at full speed toward him. At the last possible second, I shout, "Lilly, duck!" She does, and I send Turk into the middle of next week with my Goblin Glider. Lilly kicks dust onto his face with her back paws and blows her fur out of her eye.

Then I see Hotshot and Razor lurking in the distance. A simple stun-bomb should take care of them. I pull out my stunning pumpkin and send it flying into Hotshot's face, knocking him clear out. As I'm about to do the same to Razor, he saves me the trouble by, you guessed it, fainting. He really needs to see somebody about that…

And just like that, it's all over. We won. Some final battle, I didn't even break a sweat! Well, I suppose I should be happy. Nobody died, and that's more than I can say for most climatic final battles these days…

"Good work, Howling Commandos!" I say. "It looks like we taught Angel Face that when wolves and Goblins work together, there is nothing that can stop them! I think there's a moral in there somewhere."  
Lilly smiles at me. Kate nods her approval, as do Humphrey and Garth.

"We rock, team!" I say. "We're much better than Alpha Flight! We should be Canada's top super hero team! Hahaha!" I get howls of approval at that suggestion. "Now, let's just clean up these clowns and–"

But I never get to finish my sentence, as an electric blast sends me falling downward, off of my glider and to the floor at Lilly's feet. We both look behind us to see Jenny stepping out from behind one of the boxes.

Jenny? _Jenny?_

That just ain't right… And then it hits me. That red hair, that do-or-die (mostly-die) attitude, that psychosis, it can only mean one thing…

Jenny looks up at Angel Face and says, "Got him, mom."  
That's right. I've been played for a sucker! Jenny is Angel Face's daughter. "You've been setting me up the whole time!" I say.

"Um, yeah!" Jenny says. "You never thought I'd actually fall for a weakling like you, did you? I mean, you couldn't even keep that doughty girl you had before! It looks like the only girl you're successful with is one that's not even part of your own species!"

Kate doesn't notice until too late that Angel Face has regained her hold on her shock-stick. Angel points it at her and sends her flying. Then Angel Face picks herself up.

"And this, all this, was just to set a trap for me," I continue. "That's the only reason your all up here!"

"Don't be so egotistical, Goblin!" Angel Face says. "Now, it's true I came up here because you blew up my last hideout, but that was only because I needed to lay low until some of the heat died off. I mean, with the cops thinking I was dead, it was the perfect time to relocate the center of my criminal enterprise to some place where no one would come snooping. And Jasper Park, Canada, was the perfect location."

"Until I showed up," I say as Lilly helps me to my feet.

"No, Goblin, haven't you even been paying attention to what you've been saying?"

"Hey, when you're crazy, it's hard to keep tabs on all these voices in your head! Hahaha!"

Angel Face snarls at my laugh. "I spent so much time thinking about you, Goblin, and about how you could have had the good fortune to beat me twice in a row. And then, all the pieces came together. The Goblin formula, the Urich connection, the simple fact that I had never given myself much prep time. I realized that my vengeance would require something a bit more… complicated than what I had tried before. So, I had Jenny lure you up here–"

"And why not just kill me?"

"Don't interrupt!"

"She sounds like my mom!" Lilly says.

Angel Face, apparently not liking the comparison, sends an electric bolt toward Lilly. I jump in the way and am once again sent crashing to the ground by the severe shock of electricity. Thankfully, Lilly is alright.

"I didn't want to just kill Phil Urich," Angel Face says. "No, I wanted my vengeance against the Green Goblin himself, in full fighting form! The Goblin had to pay, for it was the Goblin who had done so much harm to me! When my daughter reported to me that you had given up your kelly career, I knew something had to be done to make you reconsider the idea.

"But as I was planning, I experimented with recreating your Goblin serum. While I never reproduced it exactly, I'm happy to say that I got a pretty good simulacrum. Not only has it improved my strength and stamina, but it also gave me the strange ability to communicate with canines such as the wolves of Jasper Park. I knew that your original serum, far superior to mine, must also give you that power, and so I set up a little adventure in which you could play hero. Besides, I needed those goody-goody Jasper wolves out of my way if they were in any way capable of understanding who I truly was. And so, I recruited Hotshot and his boys, planning to kill two birds with one stone. And the rest, as I'm sure you would say, is history!"

"Nice, Angel," I say as I force myself to get up, despite the pain. Lilly stands beside me, steadying me as I need it. I put my hand on her shoulder. "But you didn't account for one thing…"

Angel Face rolls her eyes. "Let me guess, the power of friendship."

I shake my head slowly and smile. "No. You didn't account for the fact that I'm the Green Goblin and I rule! Hahahaha!" Y'see, I haven't exactly been idle as Angel Face has been giving me her spiel. No, I've been mentally ordering my glider into position, and as I say it, the glider comes flying down straight toward her!

Angel hears the screeching noise and manages to dodge the flying battering ram in the nick of time. But in the confusion, I'm able to turn and deliver a finger-blast to Jenny, sending her flying into a couple of crates. She's knocked out, but not before firing a final blast at Lilly. I grab Lilly and pull her out of the way, and the blast manages to hit Angel Face, knocking her back.

But Angel Face isn't done yet, nor are Salt and Pepper. Humphrey and Garth are now paying the penalty for keeping them unguarded as the two goons fire at our heroic wolves. Garth, being Garth, manages to dodge every one and send Salt flying for a loop with a kick from one of his back paws. Humphrey, not being an Alpha and thus not being trained for super-cool moves, is not so lucky. He gets a shock straight in the center of his chest and is sent flying into a support beam.

Kate is just getting up. She's about to attack Angel when she sees Humphrey go flying and Pepper closing in for the kill. She jumps in to defend him, laying herself over his body and growling at Pepper. I decide to go in for the assist.

As Pepper's about to fire on Kate, I come out of nowhere with a razor-bat that smacks the shock-stick with enough force to send the thing flying clear across the warehouse. And Kate does the rest. Let's just say Pepper won't be winning any "flawless beauty" awards for a while after this…

"You alright?" I shout to Kate.

"Just take care of Angel Face!" she shouts back. Garth comes over to help her with Humphrey and I figure that's good enough to make sure they're alright. So I turn my attentions to my arch-enemy.

"You and me got a date with destiny, Angel," I say as I bound toward her. I send my glider in behind her so that she's trapped from two ways. She notices the glider in time and, ducking down, shoots at my trusty steed with her shock-stick, sending it hurtling out of control.

"You're gonna pay for messing with my ride!" I shout as I make a leap for her. As I come down, I slug her one across the face.

I hold her to my face by the collar of her shirt. She's dazed for a moment, but suddenly comes to. "Now do you know fear?" I say darkly. I have no clue what that even means, but it sounded appropriate in my head.

But Angel Face apparently doesn't know fear. Or at least, she doesn't show it. Instead, she gets this big evil grin on her face. And I mean, _evil._ I haven't seen something this bad since the last time Eve considered dismembered me.

"What's so funny?" I say, doing my best to act tough and unfazed. She points behind me. I turn my head around to see… oh no! Lilly! My glider, it's going out of control, screeching toward the ground! And Lilly's right in its path! I try to mentally order it to go up, but I'm getting nothing. Angel Face's blast must have damaged the connection between the glider and my mask! I can't regain control! And what's worse, the bat's head has been knocked out of place and it's sharpened ears are pointing right at her!

I throw Angel Face against the wall and make a dash for Lilly. I know there's no way she can get out of the way in time but, I figure maybe with my superior speed and stamina, I can just make it.

"What are you doing?" Lilly says as she realizes that I'm not here to pick her up and carry her to safety.

"I guess history really does repeat itself," I say as I push her out of the way. And then, in an instant, the sharpened steel of the bat's-ears tears through my chest and pierces straight into my heart. The glider carries me backward on its mad drive toward who knows what, but I can barely feel anything. My whole body feels like it's going numb as red blood pours down my green chest. And I know, I know that my powers are gone. They've been knocked out of me at the moment of fatal injury. Even my healing power… I don't think that's going to work this time. I just feel myself slipping away.

_And so do the proud men die: crucified not on a cross of gold, but on a stake of humble tin._

And then a terrible pain flies up my back and then through my whole body, bringing me back to this reality. I've hit a support beam, apparently so hard that it's almost given way. But this halts my flight and causes the glider to power off. I push it out of my chest, using the very last of my Goblin strength, and fall to the ground. As my vision begins to darken, I see a white light.

"Is this Heaven?" I say weakly.

"No, Philip, it's me, Lilly." And then I see the light coalesce into her form, her beautiful form. Maybe there's something about death that makes things more beautiful, or makes their true beauty shine out more. I don't know, but right now Lilly looks more radiant than I've ever seen her. She looks less like a wolf and more like one of those icons you see in churches. It would not be hard for me to believe if she had said this was Heaven.

She pulls my mask off from my head and lays it down next to me. But I could care less. I'm so enraptured just staring at her, watching her luminous light dance before my eyes.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die. I never bought it. I mean, if you die, how does anybody know what flashes before your eyes and what doesn't? But now, I see it. Well, not my whole life. But the most important part of it. I see myself stumbling into Harry Osborn's Goblin lair, getting submerged in his Goblin serum, trying on the mask for the first time, saving my Uncle, fighting the Rhino and the Hobgoblin, tackling Angel Face and escaping Murderworld, sacrificing my Goblin powers to save the Bugle…

And then, my triumphant return. Well, maybe triumphant is too strong of a word. I see me stunning Turk with my Lunatic Laugh, swinging through the trees to escape from Kate, revealing myself to Lilly and her family at long last and, finally, pushing her out of the way so that I would take the hit from my own glider, dying just as Norman Osborn did. And then, I focus on her again. Her, alive. Her, free to live the full life ahead of her. Her, still having her life because I chose to give up mine. Actually, triumphant isn't too strong of a word. In fact, it's just the right word. I may die because of my return, but that's better than continuing to live as dweeb, than letting Lilly suffer, than not being better than I ever knew I could be.

My name is Philip Benjamin Urich and, on the point of death, I'm so thankful that for a short time I got to live the life of the Green Goblin.

"Philip, don't leave me! Philip, hang in there!" Lilly says, tears streaming down her face. "Just hold on. Your healing factor will save you! Just hold on!"

"Not this time, Lilly," I say. "Not this time. My powers, they're all gone. No, it's time to go."  
And then I see the spirits of all the past Goblins appear in the darkness around her. But they're not smiling. They're not cackling. They're… I don't know, just standing there. Are they actually… _mourning?_

"Congratulations, Philip!" Harry says. "You were the Goblin none of us could ever be."  
"And now it is time to come home," Ned adds.

"Kill the sinners! Death to all sinners!" Demogoblin shouts.

"Come on, man, you're spoiling a touching and heart-wrenching moment!" Harry yells.

"I have got to work on my timing," Demogoblin mutters.

"You have conquered your fears at last," Bart says, "including the last and greatest fear, the fear of who you are. I'm proud that our therapy has produced such a positive result."

Norman stands apart from the group, looking half away with his arms crossed. "Well, I guess one of you finally managed to step out of my shadow," he says grudgingly. "I suppose that's commendable, m'boy. You were the first Goblin not to be forced into following in my footsteps. You were the one to conquer the evil that this role brings instead of giving into it."

"Philip, don't you dare give up!" Lilly says, though the sobs in her voice kind of offset the commanding tone. "You can't leave me! You taught me not to give up, not to give in when I thought I couldn't do anything! Now you have to do the same! You taught me to keep fighting, to be better than I thought I could be! Now you need keep fighting, for all of us!"  
I smile. I notice for the first time that her fur is once again over her eye. I lift up my hand and push it out of the way. And her lavender eyes sparkle, I mean they positively sparkle. I don't know if I've ever seen such a beautiful sight. "Since this is the last time I'm going to see you," I say, "this is how I want to remember you."

This causes more tears to fall from her eyes. She puts her paw on my chest. "No, Philip, don't go! I still need you! Stay with me!"

And I look at everything in front of me. I see all the Goblins, standing in a row behind her, all in darkness. And I see Lilly, radiating a light like the sun. I see it all; a light in the darkness, that's what she always was to me. And then I remember that old mantra which the Goblins always used to chant at me.

"Madness and death come to all who don the mantle of the Green Goblin?" I say, looking Lilly deep in her brilliant lavender lights one last time. "I always said I was going to be the Goblin to beat the odds. I may have finally met death, but at least I never gave in to madness. You're the proof of that."

"Philip, what are you saying?" Lilly says, the tears now becoming like a river.

"I may not have beat the odds, but at least I broke even." And then my eyes slowly close, her light is gone, and the darkness becomes everything.

* * *

**How's that for a tear-jerker? "Death comes to all who don the mantle of the Green Goblin." Has the warning of the Ghosts of Goblins Past finally come true? Is this the end of yet another unfortunate soul destroyed by the Goblin legacy? Has Angel Face really won? Is Jasper doomed? All excellent questions that can only be answered in our next issue, as we discover whether our emerald idol really was brought down by "A Stake of Humble Tin"!**

**Author's Note: In case you're wondering about the significance of the "So do the proud men die..." quote, it was the narration used to describe the scene where the original Green Goblin is impaled and "killed" by his own glider in _The Amazing Spider-Man_ #122. **


	28. A Stake of Humble Tin

**The Green Goblin... dead? It certainly looks that way! But now, who's going to save Jasper? More importantly, who's going to save Lilly? Things are falling apart for the good guys, but even in darkness, there can be strength. Lilly was the only one at the side of the world's strangest super-hero as he died from wounds inflicted by his own glider. Now that she's all alone, how shall she react to the Phil's death on "A Stake of Humble Tin"?**

* * *

"No, don't leave me!" Lilly shouted as she banged on Philip's chest. She lay on top of him, her eyes buried in the folds of his cloak as she cried. She could not hold back her sobs; nothing else in the world seemed to matter. Philip Urich, the man known to some as the Green Goblin but known to her as her best friend, was dead. There was no denying it. He was dead.

She could hear the din of battle. Obviously, Angel Face had not been too badly knocked out when Philip had thrown her against that wall because Lilly could hear her maniacal laugh as she fired electric bolts here and there. That laugh was nothing like the Green Goblin's; Lilly would give anything to hear _that_ horrifying sound one more time.

But those sounds of warfare were distant and almost unrecognizable. Lilly didn't care about any of it. Even though Kate and Garth and Humphrey were fighting for their lives, this did not register. While Lilly knew it for a fact, she could not wrap her mind around it, could not perceive it as something true. It just was not real, not like the death that had just occurred. Lilly could have sworn that, as Philip died, she felt a shiver as his soul rushed past her.

"Philip, you could do it! You could come back! Please, Philip, come back! We need you! And you could do it! You're so much more than I thought you were, so much more than what any of us thought you were. You have the strength inside of you! Please come back!"

She wailed and wailed, pounding her head against the folds of his cloak, but nothing happened. Slowly, she picked herself up and sat next to the body, feeling numb and even dead inside herself. She looked down to see that her chest was all red. It was Philip's blood, she knew that. She should have felt disgusted, queasy, violated. She knew that blood pouring down the fur was nothing uncommon for an Alpha wolf but, as an Omega, the thought always repulsed her. Maybe that was why she didn't try harder to be like her sister. Maybe…

But even that had never been the blood of someone the wolf knew, of a friend and confidant. But this was, and Lilly should have been sick to her stomach to have even a drop on her. But she was not. She knew she probably would be later, but for now she was not. She was simply too shocked, too hurt, too sorrowful for anything other than the fact of Philip's death to register in her mind.

And then, she heard footsteps behind her. Big, lumbering steps. She knew those steps. Knew them too well…

"Hey, cutie, looks like your boyfriend went and got himself skewered. It looks like you need someone new to keep you warm at night!" It was Turk. "Trust me, once you cuddle up here to me, you'll be glad that old green-skin bumped himself off!"

Lilly snarled. She felt the anger welling up inside of her, about to erupt like a volcano. She had never felt such rage in all her life, did not think herself capable of it. But here it was all the same. She was not afraid, did not care about her own life, but she would never forgive what Turk was saying. And he would never forget the price of speaking such words.

Slowly, as he approached her, she unfastened one of the bags-of-tricks around Philip's waist. And then, she felt Turk's large paw press down upon her shoulder.

"Look, baby," he said, "I'm gonna show you a time you won't forget. You'll be thanking me when this is over!"

"Somebody's full of themselves," Lilly said as she reached into the bag. She nearly cut herself on something long and sharp.

And, with speed she didn't know she had, she thrust a razor-bat into his paw. She could tell it went all the way through because of a slight pain in her shoulder. Turk pulled his paw back and began to stagger away. Lilly turned to see her handiwork, paying no mind to the hint of her own blood on her shoulder. The razor-bat was still stuck in Turk's paw but this did not stop him from preparing to charge her.

Lilly smiled grimly. "What? Can't handle a real she-wolf?"

Turk snarled and opened his great jaws to snap down on her. He leaped and came flying toward her. Lilly was ready.

She took the bag of tricks in her mouth and with a great turn of her head, sent all of its contents flying toward Turk. Pumpkin bombs, gas-ghosts, razor-bats, and all sorts of devices which Lilly did not recognize, whizzed out of the bag and zoomed toward Turk. He realized the danger but his momentum was too great.

"I wouldn't 'cuddle up' to you if you were the last wolf on the planet," Lilly said from behind the strap of the bag. "I'm too good for you."

And then Turk disappeared behind a cloud of green gas and red fire. Lilly felt her fur being pushed back by the explosion but would not look away. She saw the fiery ball of destruction seemingly become a storm of blood and gas before finally beginning to dissipate. What remained was Turk, his body prone in a pool of blood. From the heaving of his chest, Lilly could tell that he was still alive, but she knew from the carnage meeting her eyes that he would never be a threat to her again.

Lilly returned to sitting above Philip. She didn't cry any more. She just silently stood guard, like some stone angel upon a tomb. And then, she perceived the presence of Angel Face standing over her.

"Thus do the proud men die," Angel Face said. "Crucified not upon a cross of gold, but upon a stake of humble tin. Fitting, don't you think?"

Lilly turned swiftly. She was not about to let Angel Face, the cause of all of this, speak about Philip this way. She was ready to fight and to die fighting if need be. But then she saw a sight which brought her back to reality and reminded her that her life was not the only thing at stake. She saw Kate, Humphrey, and Garth, all badly bruised and bloodied, being held at bay by Salt, Jenny, and Angel Face herself.

"Attack me and they all die," Angel Face said. "I mean, they'll probably die anyway but at least you can have the vain hope that I might be generous." Looking back down at her enemy, she smiled mercilessly. "It looks like Goblins bleed just as mortal men do."

Lilly did not attack; she could not risk the lives of her still living family and friend. Instead, she threw herself back on Philip's body. "Please, Philip, we need you! Wake up, we need you! Come on, you can do it! You have the strength and the power! I'm not saying that because you have an accelerated healing factor. I'm not saying that because you're the Green Goblin. I'm saying that because you're Philip Urich and you're special. Because you are Philip Urich, I know you have the strength to overcome this! I know you have the strength to come back!"

"Touching," Angel Face said sarcastically as she grabbed Lilly and yanked her off of Philip's body. Lilly was about to fight back when she noticed something. Looking at Philip's wound, she thought she saw an electric spark swimming through the blood, striking the blood cells here and there, causing them to burst. And when they burst, they released a green liquid, which seemed to swarm through the blood and change it all green. Lilly knew that, on this day, miracles can happen. Miracles can happen and men can rise from the dead.

As Angel Face pulled Lilly away, she let herself be led. And she smiled.

Angel Face looked down at her. "What's that smile for, whitey? You just lost your boyfriend there and you're about to lose everything else!"

Lilly looked up at her, those lavender lights dancing with satisfaction. "Things that are lost are never gone forever. And you're about to find that out."

Angel Face shrugged this off and continued to pull on Lilly. But Lilly looked over her own bloody shoulder, back toward where the Green Goblin lay. As she did so, her smile widened.

* * *

**Things are getting interesting! What is the meaning of this strange miracle? Is the Green Goblin still alive? Or are stranger things - and that is saying something - at work in determining Jasper's fate? Next issue, it will all be revealed as we find out if it's true what they say that "Death Comes to All..." who don the mantle of the Green Goblin. You don't want to miss it!**


	29. Death Comes to All

**The Green Goblin is dead, long live the Green Goblin? Strange things are certainly happening, but is that out of the ordinary for the world's strangest super-hero? Hardly! But, just what is going on and why? That's what we're going to find out as we learn whether it's true that "Death Comes to All Who Don the Mantle of the Green Goblin"!**

* * *

I stand in darkness, alone. I don't know where I am and I'm not even sure what I am. I mean, sure I'm Philip Urich, but I don't seem to actually have a body. Apparently, I'm just some disembodied consciousness or something. Cool.

Then I see something in the darkness. Lilly is crying over… _over my body_… and suddenly I remember. I remember everything that has happened and everything that has led me straight to this moment. And then I realize…

_Ah man_, I'm dead!

"I told you, Phil," the voice of Norman Osborn says from out of nowhere. "Death comes to all who don the mantle of the Green Goblin."

"Yeah, yeah, bag that noise! I've heard it a thousand times."  
"But now it came true," Harry's voice says. "And now you can spend all eternity… _with us!_ Hahaha!"

I roll my eyes… at least I think I do… or, I would have rolled my eyes if I had eyes to roll… or… whatever. "Gee, that's going to be a lot of fun. Really, don't I get a get out of Goblin hell free card or something for, you know, being the only heroic Goblin?"

"He's right," Ned Leeds says. "He should not be required to haunt the same infernal depths as us."

"Don't tell him that!" Demogoblin whispers. "I told you not to tell him that! All sinners must be published!"

"But he's not a sinner, Demogoblin," Bart Hamilton interjects. "That's the whole point."

"Oh," Demogoblin says.

"Thanks, Bart, I guess," I say.

"Don't mention it, Philip," he says in reply. But we're all still standing in darkness.

I watch Lilly crying over me for a while. I try to reach out, pat her on the shoulder, but I'm, like, a disembodied consciousness, remember? So I can't do anything that would require arms.

Instead, I say, "Lilly, Lilly, don't cry. Lilly, it's going to be okay. Everything will be alright. Look at me, Lilly, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine. I'm okay. Lilly?"

"Yeah, like that's going to work," Norman says. "She can neither hear nor see you. Or in case you didn't know, you're dead!"

"Hey, it was worth a shot," I say.

Lilly's still crying. "Philip, you could do it! You could come back! Please, Philip, come back! We need you! And you could do it! You're so much more than I thought you were, so much more than what any of us thought you were. You have the strength inside of you! Please come back!"

I wish I could, Lilly. I really wish I could.

"And why can you not?" says a voice. This isn't one of the Goblins. No, it's another voice I've become all too familiar with. Sir Bertilak, the Green Knight, appears from out of the shadows and stands right in front of me. Well, I think he does. Concepts of direction are hard when you're a disembodied consciousness.

"Because, um, because I'm, you know, _dead_," I say. "That's not something which people exactly just get over. It's the undiscovered country and all that. Not that I feel much like Christopher Columbus or anything…"

The Green Knight smiles his trademark spooky smile. "Ah, so you think it is that simple? Life and death, it is that simple?"  
"Well, of course it is!" I say, almost shouting. "You're either alive or you're dead! That's the only two options. And I'm not the former, so I must be the latter!"

"Is that right? There is no room for a middle state?"

"No, none whatsoever! If you wanted me to still be alive, you should have helped me! Where were you when I needed you?"

"As I told you, you must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice yourself. I cannot always be around to help you. But it is strange. I never thought that the barrier between life and death was so easily fixed…"

"Oh, but it is!" Norman Osborn shouts as he appears next to the Green Knight. "If it wasn't, don't you think I'd have come back by now?"

"Who's to say that you haven't?" Bertilak says with a knowing smile, making the original Green Goblin seem rather uncomfortable. "Who's to say you haven't already breached the barrier between the living and the dead?"

Okay, now this is getting to be just too supernatural for my tastes…

"Death comes to all who don the mantle of the Green Goblin!" Norman shouts. "Philip knew that when he took on the role, and now the time has come for him to pay his dues! The power comes with a price, always with a price!"

"So you say," Bertilak barks back, displaying traces of anger like I've never seen in him before, "so you say. But what is the cause of this curse? Was it not that you and your heirs tried to use my power for evil ends? Was that not the very cause of your downfall, Osborn?"

Norman seems to grow small under this line of questioning.

"Was it not because you abused my power that I arranged for you to lose yours? You were the cause of your own downfall, Osborn, not some curse on your position! How fitting that it was your own glider to kill you! How most fitting indeed! But Philip chose not to follow in your footsteps. He chose to abandon the evil which you and your successors wrought under the Goblin name. He is more than you could ever be, so do not talk to him about death and life! What did you ever know of death and life, Osborn? You who squandered both? Nothing! Now be quiet while the true men talk!"

"Okay, when you put it that way," Norman says, "I'm going, I'm going!" and then he's gone. Just like that, he's gone.

The Green Knight turns to me, I think (you know what I mean) and smiles once again. "Philip, you alone have proved yourself worthy of the mantle of the Green Goblin. You alone have the right to wear that mask. There is a power in you beyond what you believed. It is a power that can even hold back death."

"Like, me, hold back death? I don't think so!" I say.

"It's true. There is still more in you than you have ever expected. You simply need to recognize it and it will come forth."

I don't know what to say, but my attention is suddenly diverted toward Lilly. I see Turk putting his paw on her shoulder and everything in me just wants to sit up and punch him. But I can't, 'cause I'm dead. And suddenly, I'm filled with fear and what will happen to Lilly now that she has no one to protect her.

After Turk mumbles something about his intentions toward her, Lilly remarks, "Somebody's full of themselves." And then, like out of nowhere, she drives one of my razor-bats into his paw, sending it straight through and causing him to jump backward in pain. That was, like, something I never expected. Wow. Guess Lilly doesn't need someone to protect her after all! She's apparently quite able to protect herself!

Oh no, Turk's about to rush her. But then Lilly suddenly turns around. And she looks wild. I mean, literally, almost barbaric. She's got my blood, _my blood_, running all down her chest and her own blood dripping slowly down her shoulder. Her eyes are, like, almost wild with rage. This is a Lilly I haven't met before.

"What? Can't handle a real she-wolf?" she says. I take it she's not too worried about the situation. And for the life of me (er, bad word choice), I can't help but laugh at her newfound quipping ability.

As Turk jumps for her, she takes my bag of tricks and swings it at him, sending all of its contents flying. I mean, all my bombs and bats and gas-grenades and everything, straight into Turk's mouth. "I wouldn't 'cuddle up' to you if you were the last wolf on the planet. I'm too good for you," she says.

You are, Lilly, you really are. I'm glad you can finally see it for yourself.

And then, with Turk defeated, there's calm again as Lilly returns to my chest and keeps sobbing. I don't like seeing her like this, but what can I do?

"Go back, get up!" the Green Knight says. "You've seen what good you've done for her. Imagine how much more good you could do for the world if you came back!"

"But how?" I demand. "How do I come back? Do I just step inside my body and wake up or what? Tell me what I'm supposed to do!"

"Look within you," the green man says. "Look and find your own strength. That is the only way."

"The only way, the only way! Ha! Like that helps at all!"

"There is still something special about you, Philip Urich. Recognize it and you shall have your answer."

"Boy, you're just full of riddles, aren't you?"

He shrugs, but before I can give him a real piece of my mind, I see Angel Face, standing above Lilly. And Salt and Jenny are in the background, holding Kate and Humphrey and Garth captive. Oh man, things are looking bad…

"Thus do the proud men die. Crucified not upon a cross of gold, but upon a stake of humble tin," she says. And I know that quote. It's from my uncle's book, describing the death of Norman Osborn on _his_ own glider. Well, I'm glad somebody made the connection…

Not!

Angel Face pulls Lilly away and threatens her family with death. That's just foul! Lilly isn't even allowed to mourn me in peace! Angel Face really has no concept of decency!

"In general, she wouldn't," the Green Knight says. "She is a villain, after all."

"Yeah, and not a very good one at that," I say.

"Then you cannot let her win. You must defeat her."

"But I was never that good of a hero either."

"So you keep saying. But then, who is the one who has now saved Lilly three times?"

"Only for them to get caught now…"

"But that does not matter. What matters is that you gave up your life so that Lilly could have hers. Isn't that worth being the Green Goblin?"

"Yeah, of course it is. Of course it is!"

"Then, surely it is also worth a return to life as the Green Goblin?"

"I don't know, am I really all that great of a hero? Am I really all that special?"

And then I see Lilly tear away from Angel Face and throw herself back on my chest. "Please, Philip, we need you! Wake up, we need you! Come on, you can do it! You have the strength and the power! I'm not saying that because you have an accelerated healing factor. I'm not saying that because you're the Green Goblin. I'm saying that because you're Philip Urich and you're special. Because you are Philip Urich, I know you have the strength to overcome this! I know you have the strength to come back!"

Me, Philip Urich, special? Could it really be? I mean, I've always known that the Green Goblin was special, but I never thought of myself as really special enough for the role. But, could I myself actually be special? Me, not the Goblin, but me?

"Yes, Philip," the Green Knight says, apparently satisfied that I'm now beginning to understand. "It was never the Green Goblin which made you special. It was you who made the Green Goblin special. The power… you may have used that mask, that electric shock, to jumpstart your powers, but that mask never actually gave those powers to you. It was just a conduit. The true power is not in the mask, but in the man. The power is inside of you and you have the power to return, to save your friends, and to ensure that the Goblin legacy is one of truth and justice. That is the power that resides within you."

Then I guess I have my answer. I know now what I must do. The green man's right, I can feel the power within me. Even though I'm a disembodied consciousness, I can feel the power within me! And I'm going to use that power to rise again! Today, the Green Goblin is reborn! Hahahahahaha!

And then, I feel myself to be more than a disembodied consciousness. I feel blood flowing through my veins, sense and emotion welling up through my arms and legs, my gut and heart and brains, my whole body. I feel alive! The Green Goblin lives! And just like that, I sit up. And in my ears rings some last words from the green man himself. "You see, Philip, one man can make a difference. And that man is you."

I look down to see my body wholly healed. There's red blood covering my Goblin suit but my wounds themselves have healed. And, strangely, around the wounds, the blood isn't red. No, the drying blood is not red… but _green_. It seems my final struggle for life ignited the Goblin serum within my blood, sending it coursing through my veins and reactivating my accelerated healing factor. And now I am alive!

I pick up my mask and look into its yellow eyes. Funny, this mask was what I thought made me special but no… something special was inside of me the whole time. Maybe that's why I was the one to find the Goblin lair, to fall into those chemicals, to take this mask and ride the wild night and laugh like a lunatic striking fear into the hearts of… whatever! Because my name is Philip Urich, and I'm more than just another Green Goblin. I am special.

Hahahahahaha!

Time to make Angel Face pay! Time to save my friends! Time to bring justice to this part of Canada! Time… to go green!

* * *

**Author's Note: I've used the "So do the proud men die..." quote so much (and it is such an iconic part of the original Green Goblin's death scene) that it seemed to make sense to give it some actual in-universe validity by making it a quote from Ben Urich's book on the Goblins.**

**Yes, heroes can rise again, true believers. It looks like the Green Goblin really is here to stay after all! And won't Angel Face be in for a nasty surprise? All things come full circle next time as we witness the "Resurrection of the Green Goblin"!**


	30. The Resurrection of the Green Goblin

**Things are looking bad for our heroes. What they need is a miracle. And that is just what they're going to get. Because Philip Urich, the man now known as the Green Goblin, has yet again done the impossible: He has come back from the dead to once again put a hurting on his archenemy. Angel Face is about to learn that, when dealing with the world's strangest super-hero, the impossible is literally a way of life. Because, now it is time for our emerald idol to make the _most_ triumphant return of them all, because this is "The Resurrection of the Green Goblin"!**

* * *

I pick my glider up from off the ground and mentally order it to turn on. And that's when I remember that Angel Face blew the circuitry that allows signals to be sent between my glider and my mask. Foul! And it looks like she busted out the manual controls on the glider too! Now I've got no way to get this hulking slab of metal into the air! And I've never needed it as much as I do at this moment! So what the heck am I supposed to do now?

But then something occurs to me. I suddenly recall that I programmed another way to control my glider. I just hadn't needed to use it yet. I grab at my bag of tricks, the one still loaded with my Goblin goodies. I put my clawed hand in and dig my way past all the dangerous implements to the bottom of the bag. And then… Bingo! I pull my hand out to reveal that old controller from my video game set. Remember, the one I hooked up to my glider so that I could control it out of costume? Yeah, that one. And to think, I forgot all about it. But it's never come in handy quite as much as it will now – and that is saying something.

Without another thought, I push a button on the controller. I wait anxiously for a few seconds as nothing happens. But then, the glider begins to come to life. I can see it's been damaged bad, as it doesn't really want to go. It sputters and sputters but does not want to actually get into the air. I know the feeling, but now isn't the time for hesitation. This glider never did work exactly right and now I think Angel Face's blast has really done a number on it. But it has to make it through, at least to the end of this battle. It just has to!

So I bang it hard. I mean, I smack my hand down on that engine _hard_. And, naturally, that's the best way to fix anything, because suddenly the glider rises. It rises and I jump aboard, locking my feet into the metal straps. The bat's-head still has my blood dripping down its face and, while that seems rather morbid, even for the Green Goblin, I don't really have the time to make it presentable. So, instead, I pull the thing up and get airborne. The glider is still acting funny and I'm having trouble controlling it, just like when I had to drive my first one into the sentinel, but I think I can manage for a little while longer.

I turn off the screeching so that I can make a silent approach on Angel Face and her goons. I get back to the front of the warehouse and hover over everybody else, unseen by all. Well, almost all; I think Lilly might actually have looked up briefly, but I can't be sure.

Angel Face seems positively ecstatic. "I did it! I finally did it! I killed the Goblin!"

"Well, technically, ma'am," Hotshot says, "it was the Goblin's own glider which killed him."

"And who shot the glider, causing it to go haywire, hmm?" Angel says as she fires a warning bolt at Hotshot, who scurries for cover behind an equally frightened Razor. "I did! And don't you ever forget it!"

Like, yeah right!

"Okay, boss," Salt says, "what do we do with these runts?"

"We should just kill them and be done with it, mom," Jenny says. Man, I really hate her.

"Patience, dear daughter," Angel Face replies. "There'll be time for that. Right now, I just want to bask in the sorrow they feel from me killing their protector…"

"You monster!" Lilly yells. "How could you be so happy to take another human life?"

Angel Face snarls. She walks over and slaps Lilly, knocking her down and causing her bangs to fall over her one eye. That's probably my cue! "Oh, because you still think that the Green Goblin was a brave and noble hero!" Angel Face says. "Girlie, why do you hide half your face with your bangs, huh?"

Lilly stands up, defiant. She blows the bangs out of her face. "I don't… _anymore!_"

Angel Face does not like this response, but put her own hand to her bangs. And I halt just as I'm about to swoop down. I know what's coming, and nobody's going to like it. "Well, I'll tell you why I do. It's to hide what _he _did to me!"

And she pulls her own pink bangs back to reveal a charred and scarred face, completely frozen and none-too-pretty to look at. "Still think you're bosom buddies was such a great guy now?" she says with a laugh.

Lilly and the other three gasp. I mean, like all four of the gasp at once. Well, nice to know my "handiwork" had such an impression. Mind you, I still think they were more impressed… er, disturbed… when they first saw me. So there, Angel!

"Philip couldn't have done that!" Lilly says, horrified. "He… he wouldn't!"

Angel nods. "He would and he did. That's the type of vicious psychopath you had living with you. You should be grateful I eliminated him!"

"Well," Humphrey says, "except for the fact that you yourself are a vicious psychopath…"  
"Joke all you want," Jenny says behind her mother. "You'll all be dead before the night is out." Man, I really, really hate her! I don't know what I ever saw in her in the first place!

"Lilly, I'm sorry about Philip," my mask picks up Kate whispering to her sister. "I'm sorry about everything."

But Lilly is too focused on Angel Face to pay much attention. She looks at my arch-foe, stares her right in the eyes and says, "You're lying! Philip would never do something like that! I know he wouldn't!"

Thank you, Lilly!

"And she should know," Humphrey says. "She spent more time with Philip than with her own mate!"

Garth guffaws at this. Er, thanks a lot, Humphrey. But then Garth walks up beside Lilly and begins to speak. "Lilly's right. Philip would not do something like that, anything like that. We all knew him. He was a good man and he was no monster, no matter what he dressed up as."

Kate nods. "Yes and even though he may be dead, what he did for us will never die. We will never forget and, in his honor, the Jasper United Wolf Pack is going to destroy you, Angel Face, and every last one of your criminal schemes!"

Humphrey himself seems emboldened by this show of courage on his mate's part. "Yeah, Philip showed us all that we have more inside of us than we ever knew about. And now, we're ready to bring out the heroes in each of us, because each of us is more than you'll ever be!"

Gee, I guess I made a difference after all. I'm only one man, and kind of a dweebish one at that, but maybe that is enough after all. Who'da thunk it?

Angel Face snarls. She's obviously not happy that her moment of triumph has turned into a show of defiance on my friends' part. "How touching," she says. "Kill them all!"

Salt and Jenny prepare their shock-sticks while the wolves, all of them, Humphrey, Kate, Garth, and Lilly, enter into battle-stances, just waiting for the opportunity to pounce. Looks like mutually assured destruction is on the horizon. I guess that's my cue!

"Now, you get to join your beloved Green Goblin in death!" Angel Face says. "Because you're all going to end up as dead as he is!"

And, still hidden from sight, I remember something from that old radio program. Funny, I think it will make the perfect response…

Hahahahahaha!

Angel Face and her goons jump, looking all around them for the source of that noise. "It can't be!" Angel shouts. Kate, Garth, and Humphrey all look confused and silently mouth the same thing. But Lilly grins big and happily. She seems so proud of me! Now I know I'm on the right track!

"Who knows what evil lurks within the hearts of men? Hahahahahaha! I'll give you a hint; it ain't the Shadow! Not this time!"

"You can't be…" Angel says. "You… you're dead!"

"No, 'cause this time… The Green Goblin knows! Hahahahahahahahaha!"

And I swoop down from my hiding place. Angel Face just doesn't know how to respond. I can only imagine what she must think now that I look even more frightening with my exposed chest scar and dried blood along my green body, not to mention the bloody bat's-head of my glider. I'm surprised she isn't having a heart attack! Hey, I'm even surprised that some of my friends aren't having heart attacks! It's not every day that a green dude rises from the dead!

Angel Face clumsily tries to fire a few bolts from her shock-stick at me but I dodge them easily. Then, thinking quickly, she tries to shoot a diversionary bolt at Lilly. But I easily manage to come down and pull Lilly out of the way.

"Hey there, beautiful," I say, "what's a girl like you doing in a place like this? And in such a lovely shade of red, too!"

"Philip, I knew you had to be alive!" Lilly says. "I knew you just wouldn't leave me like that!"

"Never, kid," I say, "never."

And then Kate, Humphrey, and Garth use the opportunity to attack Salt and Jenny, sending them both to the ground and leaving them with many bad bite marks. Something tells me they won't be back in commission anytime soon…

And then, suddenly, to everybody's surprise, the doors fly open and in comes… Eve and Winston? Yep, with Can-do, Hutch, Tony, and a number of other Alphas and Betas. The cavalry arrives at last… late as usual!

"How could you come out here without telling us?" Winston shouts to Kate. "You know this is something which the whole pack should face together."

"Mom, dad, how did you ever figure out what was going on?" Kate says, relieved despite having more-or-less just been scolded.

Eve replies, "When we found that you all were missing… and so was Philip's Goblin equipment, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. So, we immediately rallied all the pack's Alphas and headed this way. How are you, dear? Are you and your sister alright? What about everybody else?"

"We're all fine, mom," Kate says.

I bring my Goblin Glider down beside them. Angel Face tries to hit us with another bolt but I make a quick turn and manage to shield everybody with my glider. It takes the direct blast into the engine – and I don't know how much more punishment it's going to be able to take – but all of us living people are saved, at least. I return fire with my finger blaster, managing to get a direct hit on the shock-stick, destroying it and sending Angel Face scurrying. And then me and Lilly touch down.

Eve surveys me. "Philip, you're looking… even grimmer than usual. Is everything alright?" I can tell by the looks on the other reinforcements' faces that they're thinking the exact same thing. "Yeah, everything's alright," I say. "You know, I just died, got better."

"Oh," Eve says, clearly not quite grasping my meaning. But her concerned eyes turn away from me toward Lilly. And then she sees the red blood covering Lilly's chest.

"Lilly, dear, are you alright?" she says, naturally assuming the worst.

"Yeah, mom, I'm fine," Lilly says.

"Turk attacked her again," I say. Eve gasps and then growls.

"Mom, mom, calm down," Lilly says. "I took care of it!"

"She tore his throat out, hence the blood," I volunteer. Lilly looks at me and cringes slightly; the little white wolf is confused and uncertain about the wisdom of my little white lie. But then she looks at the Alphas, all of whom are now staring at her with a mixture of fear and respect. Winston shares that look, while Eve beams with pride.

"And you were the one who said that she didn't have the right abilities for Alpha school," Eve whispers to her mate, who just seems more confused by her comment.

"I knew that you all would be fine, because nobody could possibly beat the Green Goblin," Can-do says. "The Green Goblin is invincible!"  
"You got that right, Can-do," I say.

"Can I have your autograph?"

I'm flattered. Nobody's ever wanted my autograph before. Well, nobody who had any clue who I was, anyway. "My autograph? Sure thing. But maybe now is not the best time."

"Yes, you're right. We'll have to do it later."

"Yeah, as we round up the last of Angel Face's goons. I think only Hotshot and Razor are left."

And, speak of the devil, Hotshot and Razor come running into our view. Kate and Humphrey immediately give chase. Both bring their wolves to the ground at the same time.

"Hey Humphrey, you're getting good at this!" Kate says.

"I had a good teacher," Humphrey replies.

Kate had taken down Hotshot, as he was the bigger and stronger wolf, while Humphrey had gone for Razor. Razor, however, is for the first time not going down without a fight. He opens his big razor mouth and bites down hard on Humphrey's leg.

"Humphrey!" Kate screams. She manags to jump in and push Humphrey out of the way just before Razor brings his teeth down into Humphrey's neck. Hotshot and Razor both jump back to their feet, ready to jump Kate and make a run for it. I reach for a pumpkin bomb.

"Philip, put that away," Eve tells me. "If those two punks are going to mess with my daughter, they will have to answer to me."

Hotshot and Razor overhear her. "What you gonna do, grandma?" Hotshot says. "Pinch our cheeks to death?"

Eve slowly turns on them, and they can both tell from the look in her eyes that Hotshot's words were poorly chosen. "Why, what an excellent idea," Eve says. "Tearing through the cheek is the easiest way to rip the tongue out before stuffing it back down your gullets until you both choke to death! Or, you would, if I didn't rip both of your throats out and then pull your spines out of the gigantic holes first!"

And she begins to stock them. Hotshot and Razor try to run away but begin tripping over themselves in fear. Finally, they come up against a support beam, smacking straight into it and falling to the floor. And Eve catches up to them. I'll leave the details to your imagination, but I don't know who had the most disgusted look on their face, me, Lilly… or Winston.

"You can tell why I married her," Winston says to me. "There's no other wolf in Canada who can turn that into such an art-form."  
"I believe it," I say. And I do too! It's going to be hard to eat stuffing ever again after this!

And now it looks like everybody's taken care of. Hotshot and Razor were the last of the goons. That means that there's nobody left to worry about. Everybody's been taken care of.

"Philip," Lilly says, "where's Angel Face?"

Angel Face? I forgot all about her! And she's _supposed_ to be my arch-enemy?

I quickly hover my glider and turn in a 360 circle, scanning the whole warehouse for any sign of her. But I don't see anything.

"Looking for me, Goblin?" she says. And then I see her crawl on top of a stack of boxes. The boxes are arranged in such a way that they're like a staircase heading toward the skylight. Angel Face is standing on the shortest stack but I have a feeling she intends to run up the rest.

"You may have gotten lucky this time," she says, "but I'm not about to let you escape so easily. You see, I've been prepared." She pulls out a little doohickey – which must be the detonator.

"This device is the detonator." Called it! "I can still blow up the whole of Jasper Park with this thing. But why do it now and spoil the suspense – plus ruin my exit? No, you see, I also hid some C-4 in several of the boxes here. Don't worry, not too much or too close together to actually cause that much harm by themselves – as I knew you'd probably end up blowing them up with those childish pumpkins of yours, but taken together they could blow this warehouse sky high, and all of you with it."

"So, let me guess," I say. "You want us to stay here while you escape in exchange for not blowing up the warehouse? You're too predictable, Angel."

Angel Face laughs. "No, no, no, Goblin. Nothing like that. No, what I'm going to do is blow this whole place up while I escape and then blow up the rest of Jasper Park afterward. That way, I assure my escape and destroy you all at the same time!"

"And what's to stop me from coming up there and taking it from you?" I say.

"Nothing, nothing at all. Except that all your friends will die." And then she pushes the button and begins running up the crates. Explosions start to rock the warehouse and it doesn't take a genius to realize that we all need to get out of here fast! I consider using my Lunatic Laugh to stop Angel Face in her tracks, but I know my friends need all of their senses to escape. So what's a boy to do?

I look at Kate and Eve and Winston. "We can evacuate everybody," Winston says, "if you want to go after her."

"I'll come with you," Kate says.

"No!" I say. "Humphrey needs you more than I do now. Get him out of here!"

"But, Phil," she says, "it's my duty to lead the pack against our enemies. And I think Angel Face certainly qualifies now!"

Then she walks up to me and whispers. "Don't make me choose. Don't make me choose."

"You're already making a choice if you stay here," I whisper back.

"But what choice am I supposed to make?"

"The one that's best for both your love and your honor. They don't have to be in opposition, Kate. You just have to understand that one should always inform the other. Humphrey needs you to get him out of here, but so does your pack need you to get them away from this exploding pile of debris. One leads you to the other. It is your duty, as both a pack leader and a mate, to help everybody escape. And it's my duty to go after Angel Face."

Kate looks me in the eyes and I see that she understands. She runs back toward Humphrey and with Garth's help lifts him onto her back. "Everybody follow me!" she says. She nods her head to direct the Alphas and Betas out. They all take her lead and run with it. Literally, in the case of the jumpier ones.

I know jumpy Alphas seems like a contradiction, but there you are.

With a few more whacks, I force my glider to go (I really don't like how hard this is getting!) and zoom up toward the skylight, which Angel Face has already reached. Just as I get to the top, I give one last look back and see… oh no…

Lilly! _Lilly?_

She's just standing there as crates explode all around her. Can-do is standing in between her and the crates leading up here.

"I can't let you go, Lilly. Your parents want all of us to leave the warehouse!" Can-do says. "That's a direct order. I can't break it."

"But I have to get up there! I have to help Philip!" Lilly barks.

"No, Lilly. Your parents won't allow it."

Suddenly, Lilly puffs out her chest, still soaked red with my blood. Her snout curves into one of her adorable little snarls. She looks Can-do straight in the eye as she reveals her teeth. "Can-do, get out of my way. That is an order!"

Can-do looks from her bloodstained chest to her teeth to that look in her eyes. I'm sure he's imagining how she ripped Turk's throat out and wondering if she'll do the same to him. He gulps in fear and says meekly, "Yes, ma'am." And then he steps aside.

As Can-do reluctantly leaves the warehouse, Lilly begins crawling up the boxes. But just as she gets to the top of the first stack, the explosions catch up with her and end up blowing the stack right out from under her. She's unharmed but begins to fall toward the inferno below. And I don't need any prompting to do what I do next. It's something I've been practicing for the whole time I've been here.

I swoop down, pushing my glider at top speed and, using my quick reflexes, I grab onto her just before she hits the flames. A small piece of her tail is singed, but I'm able to get her up before anything else can happen. I hold her in my arms and speed back toward the skylight, managing to stay just ahead of the raging fireball roaring behind us. And then, just as we're about to escape, Angel Face pushes down the electrified barbed-wire fence over our heads.

Like that's really going to stop us! This next bit isn't going to be fun, but it'll be better than being burned to a crisp by the inferno. I hold Lilly to my chest with one arm and cover my head with the other. And that forearm is the one which takes most of the barbed-wire blast. I'm hit a bit in the head, but otherwise nothing else is damaged. Lucky break!

Or maybe I'm just that good!

You're still thinking it's a lucky break, aren't you? Well, what can I say? Lucky breaks may just be a skill of mine! But, I'll be honest, those little shocks to my head may be beneficial in the long run. I can already feel my powers stabilizing. As I was saying, we break through that, and then I level off as I come face-to-face with Angel Face, standing at the top of the roof.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to resist the pursuit," Angel Face says as she draws a grapple-gun. "Oh, and you brought your _special friend_ too! How nice! The Green Goblin and Lilly sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

I look at her in disbelief. Lilly does the same. "Really, Angel?" I say. "Of all the possible taunts in all the world, you go for third-grade humor?"

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes little wolf-Goblins in a glider-carriage! What can I say, I like the classics."

I smile wickedly. "Oh, then stick around, and I'll give you a classic beat-down! Hahaha!"

To my surprise, Angel Face actually puts away her grapple-gun. "I know I should probably take this chance to escape and leave you to whatever fate awaits you, but I never could resist a challenge. Call it a weakness."

"I call it a psychosis," I say as I put Lilly down beside me and the glider. "But then, I call everything about you a psychosis! Hahaha!"

"You're one to talk!" Angel Face says. "The self-proclaimed Most Maniacal Hero of All!"

"Yeah," I say, "but there's a difference. I make madness look good!"

"Please, you can't even make the Green Goblin look good!" she says.

"Okay, lady, listen up and listen, um, good!" I shout as I begin to send my glider toward her.

"No, you listen, you cheap Goblin knock-off!" she shouts as she jumps and gives me a full on kick to the midsection, sending me flying from the glider and onto the surface of the roof. She begins to pummel me with her fists as I try to get up. "You couldn't even come up with your own super hero gimmick! You just decided to steal one! And one of a villain! You give all us villains a bad name with your attempt to be all _goody-goody_. You make it look like one of the super villain community's finest has gone soft. And for that, the whole New York underworld will thank me for eliminating you once and for all! You don't even deserve to wear that mask!"

And then, just like that, I grab her fists and stop the punching. (Not a moment too soon! My head was starting to feel like a bungie-ball!) As I rise, I push her off of me. "Listen, lady, as I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted, I do deserve to wear this mask! I earned the right to be the Green Goblin because I faced that darkness and I overcame it! I earned the right to wear this mask when I successfully took this evil identity and made it a force for good. I have done more with my life to benefit the world than any Goblin before me ever did. For that reason, I am the only one who deserves to wear this mask. I am the one true Green Goblin! Hahahaha!"

And, when I'm on my feet, I take advantage of the slight stunning effect of my laugh to slug her, sending her flying across the roof! Hahaha!

"I'll get you for that!" Angel Face screams as she jumps. "I'll get you both for hitting a woman and for what you did to my face!"

Really, that's what she's so mad about? _Her face?_ I guess I should have figured from the way she revealed it earlier, but still, it's not like it's something to go to war over! "Wait a second, lady. You're telling me that the whole reason you've got this psychotic need to destroy me is because of your face? That's what this has all been about, your face?"

Angel Face charges at me. "What else would it be about? You scared and destroyed my beautiful face! The masterpiece of humanity, and you destroyed it!"

"Looks like somebody's a bit egotistical," I say to Lilly as I sidestep Angel Face.

But Angel Face isn't done. She stamps upon the end of my cloak (That thing really is too long!) and uses it to pull me over. Then she starts to give me several headache-inducing kicks to the face. Did I mention that this is the part of fighting her that I hate the most? No? Well, now I did!

But out of nowhere comes a white streak of light. Lilly pushes Angel Face over and pins her to the ground. I recover my senses as Lilly growls in Angel Face's angel face. Angel Face snarls back, but it doesn't seem like there's much else she can do.

"Okay," I say as I walk up. "First things first. It wasn't my fault your face got all burned up! I was just there trying to stop you from kidnapping Normie Osborn. You were the one who had to make things difficult by kicking me in the head when I saved him. So, what else was I supposed to do to escape other than use my patented Lunatic Laugh? Okay, my patent-pending Lunatic Laugh. And if you hadn't been waving that gun around, you wouldn't have shot one of the water-pipe and gotten scolding water in your face! If anything, you're to blame for your face looking so ugly, not me! Hahaha!"

Lilly looks at me and smiles a little. "I knew you wouldn't actually do something like this on purpose!"

I smile back. It's nice to see that there is someone actually willing to trust the Green Goblin on good faith. It's quite a change, actually.

"How dare you call me ugly!" Angel Face yells. She then throws Lilly off of her and hits me with an uppercut that I never see coming. I'm now the one who's sent flying upward and backward. A quick look around tells me that I'm about to fall through the skylight and into the blazing inferno below.

Today is not my day…

Luckily, however, I pull out my control and quickly push the combination that sends my glider swooping in just in time to catch me before I go through the skylight. (See, don't let anybody tell you all those hours spent playing video games didn't teach you anything!)

On second thought, lucky might not be the best term for it. It hurts like crazy when I actually land on the glider's metal back and I think the thing almost gives out from the impact. But it manages to stay up and a sore back is better than being burned alive, I guess. But we get through and break into the clear blue sky as the sun begins to rise over the horizon.

Trying to recover quickly, I throw a stunning pumpkin at Angel Face but she quickly bats it back toward me. I guess she's got enhanced reflects as well as strength now. Her quasi-serum must really work! So I decide to meet her bat with a bat of my own (What? It's a pun!), as I toss one of my flying razors to intercept the bomb. Both go flying into the wilderness somewhere. I don't know where, but there's definitely a big explosion.

I reach into my bag-of-tricks to pull out another pumpkin when– Oh, no! That was my last pumpkin and my last razor-bat! I was already running low before coming out here tonight, but when Lilly threw the whole contents of one of my bags at Turk, that reduced me to almost nothing!

Wait, I still have a gas-ghost left! And then I see that Angel Face is about to push the detonator. Well, it's, like, now or never! Only one shot at this, one shot to get it right! And so I lob the gas-ghost at her. She's too busy to notice.

As I get myself to my feet, I get up and stand on my glider. The thing's really giving me problems now. It backfires when I push the buttons for it to swoop down and I can't get it to go in time.

"Don't worry, Philip, I'll handle it!" Lilly yells.

"Lilly, no!" I shout. "That gas! You won't be able to see!"

"But I can still smell!" she retorts.

"But… but… it's going to be painful!"

She shakes her head and her eyes become solemn, purposeful. "I know, but I have to do it anyway. With great power comes great responsibility, remember?"

Before I can get my glider over there to stop her (Why won't it work?), she charges into the green fog and with the lenses in my mask I'm able to visually penetrate the fog and watch her once again tackle Angel Face. Angel Face falls to the ground but the struggle isn't over. She wrestles Lilly for control of the detonator. And she's winning, trying to strangle Lilly so that she can't take it from her.

And finally, my glider begins to go. But before I can even enter the fray, I'm surprised by what I see. Lilly manages to come back. Using all her strength, she pulls herself out of Angel's headlock and tears the detonator from her hand, leaving tooth marks that will probably turn into the perfect scars to go with Angel's hideous face.

And then Lilly comes flying out of the green gas-ball, her eyes filled with tears. I know they're not tears of sadness but are instead caused by the stinging pain of the gas. I mean, I've accidently set those things off without my mask and believe me, they are painful! You especially never want to throw one around in your loft!

What? I needed a way to find out what they did, didn't I? I am not a dork! It could have happened to anyone!

"I got it, Phil! I got it!" she shouts from behind the detonator. Her eyes, though filled with tears, are also filled with pride at having accomplished something like this.

"Great job, kid! We'll make an action hero out of you yet!" I say.

I think Lilly blushes but I really can't be sure, what with all of her fur.

But then, as the man says, we're not out of the woods yet. Angel Face comes tromping through the green fog, her eyes burning with absolute hatred.

"What's wrong, Angel?" I say. "The gas too much for you?"

"I shall destroy you!" she says. "I will completely obliterate you! Both of you!"

"Gee, Angel, you're one of those one-track mind people, aren't you?" I say. Then I turn to Lilly. "Hand me the detonator!" Lilly throws it over and I catch it.

"You want it, Angel?" I wave the detonator above my head. "Come and get it!"

Angel comes running straight for me but I'm easily able to dodge with my glider. Then she again tries to pull me off with my cape. But my reflexes, even with her current level of powers, are still better than hers and I rip it away before she even has the chance to grab it.

She stops and stares at me. Before she can do anything else, I decide to deactivate the detonator. So I tear open the back panel and look at all the wires.

"Good luck!" Angel Face says. "You'll never be able to figure out how to disarm that thing! One false move and everything blows sky-high!"

I shrug. "Okay, then, might as well just destroy it and see what happens!"

"Philip…" Lilly whispers.

"Just trust me," I whisper back.

She nods. "Always."

And then I turn the detonator so that Angel Face can see the wires. And I begin to play with them, yellow, blue and red. As my hand passes over each one, I can see Angel Face's grin intensifying. It's good for me that someone like that really doesn't understand the concept of subtlety. And when I reach the green wire, her face suddenly drops. Bingo! This must be the one that disarms the bombs. I close my eyes as I'm about to pull it out and I see Lilly do the same. We're both nervous.

"What do you think?" I whisper. "I'm pretty sure it's this one, but…"

"Go ahead," she whispers back, "I trust you."

I pull it out and, lo and behold, there are no explosions at all throughout Jasper Park. Other than the one still occurring below us, that is. Figures that it would be the _green_ wire, doesn't it?

"I told you you could trust me," I whisper to Lilly.

"Now you sound just like Humphrey," she whispers back.

"Sorry, Angel, but you lose," I say as I throw the detonator into the inferno below. She looks like she wants to kill me. I mean, she always looks like she wants to kill me, but now she _really_ looks like she wants to kill me!

"Oh, you think you're so clever!" Angel Face yells. "You think you're so clever and big and strong. Well, you're nothing. You're nothing without that Goblin mask! The source of all your powers, the source of your very identity! Without it you are nothing! And you don't even have the courage to face me as yourself!"

"Hey, I thought you were the one who wanted to face the Goblin and not Philip Urich!" I say as I fly toward Angel Face, who seems caught off-guard by the boldness of my actions. "Besides, there's something you need to learn!"

Right in front of her, I come to a dead stop and look Angel Face deep in those evil eyes of hers. Evil eyes for evil eyes. But, like, not quite. I tear off my Goblin mask and look her full in the face. "Y'see, I don't need this mask! The power to defeat you is right inside of me!"

Angel Face doubles back in fear, the first time I've ever noticed her to be afraid. And to think, it's not fear of the Green Goblin, but fear of Philip Urich, fear of _me!_

She tries to regain herself. "That's… that's… but you gave me, with your own power, the way to defeat you." And she pulls out that crescent moon I threw at her earlier. "And now it's time for both of you to say goodbye!"

"How are you supposed to kill both of us with that one little thing?" Lilly asks, with just the right hint of sarcasm. Man, she's getting good at this!

"I'm sure I'll think of something!" And she prepares to throw it. I know she probably won't be able to activate it – since I still don't know how it works, but I can use this situation to my advantage!

"In that case, Angel," I say, "you should put down thing down. Because that thing is too horrible for you to have power over."

"Nice try, Urich!" she says as she winds up.

"Okay, you asked for it. If you're not going to put that thing down and be reasonable about this, you're forcing my hand… or shout I say my mouth, lungs, and voicebox?"  
I turn to Lilly. "Y'see, our only hope now might be the one power even I know I can't control!" Lily gets down and covers her ears as best she can.

And then I turn back to Angel Face, my mouth slowly forming into its wicked grin. "Or can I? Let's find out… with my Lunatic Laugh!"

**_HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!_**

Angel Face is so disoriented, she drops the moon. It bounces off her shoulder, then the scarred half of her face, and then down her body before hitting the ground and erupting in a brilliant show of light, color, and sound. She's completely engulfed and begins to stagger around, trying to get away from the horrifying images and noises that the moon is producing. Without even noticing it, she heads toward the skylight.

Huh, so that's what that thing does? Okay, I take back what I said earlier about the bad engineering. But Norman or Harry, couldn't you have made it a little easier to use?

And then, noticing me from amongst the various images, Angel Face makes a wild leap toward me. I don't know if it was really me or just one of the illusions she saw, but the phantasmagoria was enough to drive her to the edge of sanity. She goes in for a final assault and I'm right in her path. It seems like she's put everything into this, all of her skills and powers, and this might be something which even my quick reflexes can't get me out of.

But then, I feel something push me out of the way. I look to see Lilly, using all of her own strength, to move me along as fast as she can, right out of Angel Face's path. We fall form my glider and onto the roof, but we're unharmed. And that's more than I can say for our not-so-formidable opponent! 'Cause the next thing I know, Angel Face screams in terror as she plunges into the fiery abyss and disappears amongst the flames.

Lilly and I just sit there, taking it all in. We look from one to another, both of us unable to believe the extraordinary series of events we just went through. I turn to Lilly. "Uh, thanks… for everything."

"No, Philip," she responds as she turns to me, her lavender eyes bursting with happiness and the joy of life, of surviving the impossible. "Thank you for everything!"

Before we can say anything else, the warehouse starts rumbling and I realize that the fire has finally taken its toll. The building is about to collapse!

"I think it's time to go." I say.

"Yeah," Lilly says.

We both jump to our feet and I run for the glider. I get on top of it and, to my relief, it actually starts up perfectly. No hesitation, no backfire, everything just works. I zoom toward Lilly and lift her up just as the roof collapses into flames beneath her. And soon, we're cruising into the forest, safely away from the explosion.

* * *

**So the baddies are defeated and everything's right with the world, right? Wrong! Angel Face may have been vanquished, but there are some final surprises in store for our green and white do-gooders. Things close with a bang in our explosive penultimate issue as we learn whether the Green Goblin's greatest adventures ends in "Tragedy or Triumph?"**


	31. Tragedy or Triumph?

**Here we go! Our adventure comes to a truly explosive finale as the Green Goblin and Lilly are faced with one final challenge. And now everything hangs on their success or failure in overcoming it. You don't want to miss this climactic issue in the life of our emerald idol as we finally learn whether this adventures ends in "Tragedy or Triumph?"**

**Author's Note: The italics are back! To refresh your memory, I used them once before to give snippets of the wolves' perspective during critical events otherwise completely narrated by the Green Goblin. I know I promised not to use them again, but I forgot that I needed them for this chapter, since we're at the suspenseful conclusion of the story. But since I did promise and I think they are kind-of hard to read, I've kept them to a bare minimum. **

* * *

But then, things start exploding all around us. It looks like Angel Face had a number of other bombs planted this way and the fire shooting from the warehouse is setting them off! I need to get us out of here quickly if we're going to survive and not be barbequed, so I push the glider to its absolute limit. And I mean its _absolute _limit. I've never pushed it harder or faster before. I don't know if it could take it in perfect condition, much less in its present state. But, like the man says, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Huh, that's pretty much my history as the Goblin in a nutshell…

And then, a shocking blast flies right by the glider. Oh no, not another one of those shock-sticks! Then I look down and see Jenny. It looks like she managed to get out of the blaze and recover her weapon. And now she's giving it her all to try and toast the two of us! Even though a great fireball's rapidly advancing behind her.

"What did you do to my mother, you monster?" She shouts. "Whatever you did, I'm going to make you pay!"

I try to fire my finger-blasters back at her and pretty soon it's a high-intensity shooting match as we both try to outrun the inferno. And then, we come to a lake.

Gee, this lake looks familiar for some reason… I wonder why.

And then, I see a bunch of bubbles pushing to the surface. At first, I'm confused as to what could be causing so much of a disturbance down there. Funny, from the way those bubbles are being thrown to the surface, the way it's all moving, I could almost believe that there's another Goblin Glider down there.

But then, how would that even be… ooooohhhh! My prototype! That thing's still going? What does it run on, Energizer batteries? You know, in some ways, it's more reliable than my supped-up glider right here.

And then I get an idea. Maybe I can distract Jenny long enough to escape. I know that my old glider doesn't have the electrical capacities or connection to my mask that the new one does (I'm not even wearing my mask – it's tucked in my belt!) but I have an idea which might just get it to come to the surface.

I swoop down in front of Jenny, over the lake, dodging electricity bolts and holding Lilly tight all the way.

"Philip, what are you doing?" Lilly says. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Come on," I say. "You know me better than that."

And, as my glider hovers over the surface of the waters, they are pushed back, revealing the proto-glider underneath. (Hey, it's a very shallow lake! And the glider was only about midway down, anyway!) The thing's already moving and all it takes is a shot from my finger-blaster to get the thing up and going, straight out of the water and straight toward Jenny.

"Lilly, meet my proto-glider," I say. And then I look over my shoulder at the man woman pursuing us. "And Jenny… Say hello to my little friend!"

Jenny's eyes suddenly become wide as she sees the glider flying right toward her. It's not going too fast, but I guess the surprise is too much. As I pull up and away, I see the teal bats'-head of the proto-glider make contact with Jenny's abdomen. I was just hoping it would put her out of commission long enough for us to escape, but it does even more than that. It doesn't pierce her or anything, not being too sharp, but it rams her back… straight back into the approaching fireball. Both glider and Jenny are swallowed up by flames.

"Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!" I say as I see her disappear.

"Philip, that's not funny," Lilly manages to say. "She was a horrible person but that doesn't make her death anything to gloat over."

I nod. "True, but I've never been very good at the whole mourning your enemies thing. Besides, if I've learned anything about Angel Face and her goons, they probably found some completely improbable method of escaping and will be back to trouble me again in the future."

"Then what was all this worth?" Lilly says, sounding dejected. I just hope it's from the idea and not from any further air-sickness.

"Oh, I doubt they'll do anything here," I say reassuringly, taking my eyes off the sky just long enough to look at Lilly. "Angel Face doesn't have any reason to attack here again, because you'd all see it coming and she doesn't like it when her cover's blown. Besides, she won't ever be able to set an elaborate trap like that against you again, seeing as how now you'll all be wise to her tricks."

"And what about you?" Lilly says, concerned.

I smile. "Well, me, she'll probably come after me again. Super-villains are like that. They get fixated on one hero and just keep battling them time and time again no matter how silly it is or how often they lose. That's just life for them, I guess."

"But aren't you worried?"

"I'm always going to be worried, but that's just a part of this life. With great power comes great responsibility, after all. And if and when Angel Face strikes again, I'll be ready for her."

Lilly smiles at me. She's comforted and reassured. Looks like I really am good for something after all.

But I don't like what I see next. As I'm looking at Lilly, I can see the left wing of my glider. And I see the left wing of my glider start to break down the rivets and the outermost tip burst off in flames.

"That's not good," I say.

"What?" Lilly says, still looking at me. And then she sees the right-side outermost tip burst off in flames.

"Oh, that. Philip, are we going to die now?"

"Not if I can help it," I say. And, holding Lilly close to me, I push everything into the glider, heading with all the speed we've got toward Jasper Park. Pretty soon, I can see that giant central mountain in the distance. And then, it's not in the distance any more but right in front of us.

* * *

Kate surveyed the wolves of Jasper Park on top of the high mountain with her mother and father. All three counted those who went on the day's expedition. Or the previous day's, as the case may be, since it was already a new bright blue morning. But, this did not help Kate's mood any when she got to the end of her review and realized that someone was missing.

"Lilly! Where's Lilly!" Kate screamed. Winston and Eve immediately looked through all the wolves.

"My baby! My baby's missing!" Eve shrieked.

"No, not Lilly…" Winston said sadly. "If she doesn't come back…"  
"Don't say that!" Garth yelled. "Don't even think that!"

Winston was too worried to tell Garth to be more respectful to his superiors. And he could tell by the look on Tony's face than Tony was thinking the same thing. Humphrey even tried to get up from nursing his wounded leg to look through the large number of Alphas and Betas, though he knew full well that Lilly wasn't there.

Hutch cleared his throat. Everybody turned to him, anxious to hear what he had to say. Then he nudged Can-do, who nervously began to speak up.

"Um, sir, ma'am, Lilly did not come with us. She stayed behind with the Green Goblin. I tried to bring her but she gave me a direct order not to interfere."  
Eve was livid. "My baby stayed in that warehouse! How could you let her do that? If anything happened to her, Can-do, I will personally rip–"

"Please, dear," Winston said, "now is not the time."

"What could I do?" Can-do says. "She does outrank me now!"

"You should have told us about it all the same," Winston said, though with a look in his eyes expressing that he knew why Can-do had not – namely, Eve's furious temper. Winston tried to hold onto Eve, who was preparing to tear apart the unfortunate Beta.

Humphrey moved quickly to calm this scene. His injury meant that he could not actually move that quickly, or at all, but he did what he could do. Seeing a speck on the horizon, he said, "Hey, guys, what's that?"

It worked. All the wolves turned to see what he was seeing. He did not know what to do if Eve lost interest and decided to murder Can-do, but he figured he'd cross that bridge when they got to it. He would just have to play that part by ear.

But luckily for him, he did not need to. That speck kept getting bigger, bigger, until it could be made out clearly.

"It's the Green Goblin!" Can-do shouted.

"And he's got Lilly!" Kate added.

But then, they all gasped in terror as they saw the wings of the Goblin Glider going up in flames. They were all transfixed with horror as they saw the glider erupt into a ball of fire. None of them wanted to even think about what that could mean for Lilly or for the Green Goblin himself but they were all thinking it anyway. They looked at one another, searching for hope in each other's faces – that is, when they could stand to look away from the glider and the Goblin. Everybody was gripped by the greatest terror and apprehension. Would Lilly and Philip manage to survive? That was the question on everyone's mind. Would they survive?

* * *

I see the mountain in sight. It's getting closer. Lilly's eyes widen as she sees it.

"Don't worry, kid," I say. "We're gonna make it!"

"I don't know, Philip!" she says as I feel her whole body shake with worry.

"Hey, I said we were in this to the end, together. And I'm not about to let it end here. Trust me!"

"Okay, Philip, I trust you!"

And then, all of a sudden, another piece of the left wing goes. And then the right wing follows close behind. And I can feel the glider starting to lose its force and power, its momentum and drive, its ability to soar on the air-currents.

We are definitely going down…

* * *

There was another gasp as the glider started to lurch downward. It was quickly losing its wings and everybody knew that it would not be able to stay up. Lilly's heart raced as she watched the wings go. She could feel it pounding in her chest, like it was about to burst out of her little ribcage. Philip had told her to trust him but she had difficulty seeing how they would escape now. But she had to trust him. There was nothing else to do.

Then she looked over to see her parents and Kate and Garth. She had to look away, she couldn't stand to see them so terrified for her. Eve could not bear to watch any longer and buried her face in Winston's shoulder. Kate and Garth both tried to remain resolute but it was obviously how anxious they were. Humphrey put his hand on Kate's shoulder and Garth looked instinctively for Lilly to do the same, even though he knew that she was out there in the middle of the sky and not beside him.

It was the most painful feeling he had ever felt.

* * *

I use all my strength and piloting skill (What? I do have piloting skill, you know!) to keep the glider on a straight path. If we could just make it to the mountain peak, we'll be safe. But then, two more pieces of the left and right wing burst off and it's clear that this glider will never make it that far.

"Philip, not to doubt you, but I don't think the glider can make it," Lilly says. "I don't know if we're going to make it."

"Oh, we'll make it, kid!" I say. "That's a promise." And an idea comes to my mind. If I can time this just right – and I somehow usually can – I can still get us out of here. But I've, like, got only a window of a few seconds – if that – to pull it off.

And then, I feel my legs starting to shake. I know that the last segments of the wings are not going to last much longer. In fact, I'd say they're on the very verge of giving out. And I'll admit, things are looking pretty bad. But I can't fail here, I can't fail her. I… just… can't!

And, as I feel the wings start to buckle, I know it's time.

"Philip, we're going down!" Lilly shouts.

_"They're not gonna make it!" Hutch shouted as he watched the glider start to enter freefall. Eve turned around and shot him a vicious look, forcing him to be quiet. But she knew that it was, no matter how much she fought it, exactly what she herself was thinking. And, from their transfixed stares, so was everybody else._

"No, we're not!" I say. Putting all my strength in my legs, I push up and jump with everything I've got from the Goblin Glider, using my super strength and agility to launch into the leap of a lifetime. Just as my feet leave their holsters, the last two sections of the wings burst off and the burning engine descends downward, becoming a blazing fireball before finally crashing down into Lilly's favorite lake. I now know what happens when gliders get lost in lakes, but I think for that particular glider, it's the end of the line.

And I did it! I saved us! I'm feeling pretty elated as we sail through the sky. "See, I told you, Lilly, we're gonna be just fine. You just have to trust ol' Philip Urich to get you through!"

_"They're going to make it!" Hutch said. All the other wolves' faces lit up._

_"My baby's going to be okay!" Eve cried._

_She hugged Winston just as Kate hugged Humphrey. Garth could not contain himself and began stamping his feet in excitement._

"I guess… I guess I was right to trust you all along," Lilly says, even though she's keeping her eyes on the ledge. And I don't blame her, as this leap of faith doesn't exactly have the security of a glider. But hey, that's why it's a leap of faith. And besides, it's not like there's anything that could really go wrong now!

Spoke too soon! Now, as we're almost there, I realize that I'm going to be a few feet short! I had to jump off the glider too soon to get the timing right! There's no way we're going to actually hit the cliff! We are so dead!

"Philip, why are we descending already? Why?" Lilly is trying to stay calm but I can hear her voice cracking. And then, as we fall below the cliff face, she covered her eyes with her paws.

"Philip, we didn't make it! What's going to happen to us?"

"Don't worry, Lilly, I'll figure a way out of this! I always do!" But as we fall downward at super-speed toward the valley below, I really have no clue what to do. I don't know whose screaming is worse, Lilly's or mine.

_The hope in the wolves faces quickly turned to horror as Philip and Lilly fell below the cliffs and their screaming was heard all the way down. Eve and Kate began crying. Even Winston and Humphrey sobbed slightly. But Garth cried the worst of all. Soon, he began howling, a beautiful, sorrowful howl unlike anything he knew he was capable of. Soon Kate and Humphrey, Winston and Eve, and the other wolves joined in._

_"They didn't make it," Can-do said sadly._

"Philip," Lilly says as we fall downward, her mane rushing all around her face but staying out of her lavender eyes. "I want you to know, that if we don't make it, I'm still glad that I met you, that we went on this crazy adventure."

"So am I, Lilly, so am I," I say.

And then… suddenly… like a light in the darkness, a thought occurs to me. A chance. A slender, forlorn, impossible chance, but a chance none the less! I quickly grab my Goblin mask from my belt and throw it over my head. I still couldn't get the thing to work right, but maybe, just maybe, with those extra zaps I had to go through… and more importantly, the newfound power inside of me, maybe I can just get this thing to work.

It only ever responded when I had the electric zapper working and my Goblin powers were in full-swing. Well, now I tell ya, they are in more than full-swing, so, this mask has to work! I command it to work! It will work! It will work because I am Philip Urich and I am the Green Goblin and I will make it work!

And then, just as we're about to become pancakes on the valley floor, a blazing light comes out of the soles of each of my boots and quickly forms into the dagger-like shape of a rollerblade. And, as I throw my feet out in a swinging arc, my Goblin blades carry us up from the valley floor and back into the sky.

"See, Lilly," I say, "I promised you we'd be fine. And the Green Goblin keeps his promises!"

"Oh, Philip," she says as she hugs me.

Hahahahahahahahaha!

_Everybody howled, but then, suddenly, their plaintive noise was drowned out by another noise; a joyfully maniacal laugh. And, once again, all the wolves' faces lit up. They jerked their heads and bodies back in the direction of the cliff just in time to see the Green Goblin burst over it, with Lilly under one arm and a trail of fire coming from each of his feet. As he circled above them and began to descend, Eve and Winston, Kate and Humphrey, and Garth all had tears in their eyes – tears of joy. And then, they began to howl, a howl of celebration, of commendation, of relief and thankfulness and unlimited happiness._

_"He is so cool!" Can-do said, watching the Goblin. Hutch eyed him with concern._

I did it! I did it! As I touch down on top of the cliff, I can't believe that I actually did it! But I did! I saved the day! Long live the Green Goblin!

I put Lilly down and her family runs around her. She immediately hugs Garth and then her parents and then Kate and Humphrey. Finally, Tony walks up and, much to everybody's surprise, Lilly hugs him as well.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again," Eve says. "We've only just gotten used to your sister doing it!"

"I'm sorry you were all so worried," Lilly says, "but it was something I just had to do."

Winston nods. "I understand. I never imagined how it would feel when my little flower grew up, but now I can truly say… I've never been more proud of you that I am right now."

"That goes double for us!" Kate says as Humphrey and Eve nod.

But then Garth hugs Lilly again. "I love you, Lilly," he says, "and I'm so proud, so honored, that soon you'll be ruling this pack at my side. I'd never want another mate. No one could compare with you!"

Kate gives him a slightly annoyed look but it quickly disappears in the general happiness. Garth continues to whisper "I love you"s in Lilly's ear, which she returns. "I love you too, Garth. There's never been anyone I've loved like you. And that love is what has given me such confidence and hope!"

And then, Tony stands over them. They both stop hugging and look at him, unsure as to what he's going to say. But he smiles. "I guess maybe my son made the right choice of mate after all. I want you two to know that you have my blessing."

They both hug him. And, as Lilly pulls away, all the wolves crowd around her and want to talk about what she saw and what she did. I don't blame them. She's an incredible little wolf. And then, I look over the valley, and see the fires in the distance. I quickly put in a call to the nearest Jasper ranger's station warning them about the forest fire. And then, I prepare to go. I've saved the pack and Lilly, and now they can go back to their normal lives, so there's nothing left but for me to walk off into the sunset.

I mean, literally. Now that I don't have a glider anymore…

I pull off my mask and begin to silently walk away. There's no more need of the Green Goblin here. Time to just disappear.

And then, I feel a tug on my glove. I turn around to see Lilly standing beside me, with the rest of the pack behind her.

"And where do you think you're going?" she says.

"I'm heroically departing into the sunset before anyone notices I'm gone," I say. "After all, you don't really need the Green Goblin anymore."

"No," Lilly says, "but I do need Philip Urich. And besides, it's only just after sunrise. Come on, we have to celebrate!"  
"You mean, celebrate the fact that Jasper Park is safe and we all came out of this weird and wonderful adventure with our lives intact?"

Lilly nods slowly. Her lavender eyes sparkle. "That… and the fact that we've got a wedding to plan! Next week, there's going to be a double wedding! Humphrey and Kate and me and Garth!"

"We were going to wait until summer, but you never know what the future holds," Winston says. "Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?"

Huh, what a concept! One I've definitely learned to appreciate!

"So, we'll have it on the day of the next Moonlight Howling." Winston finishes speaking and everybody nods in agreement.

"Oh, wow," I say. "Congratulations! I guess I can stick around until then. Except, I don't have a gift!"

"Don't worry, Philip," Lilly says, "You've already given me so much. Now, come on!"

And she yanks my glove, leading me back toward the center of the peak as all the wolves walk with us.

"You know," I say, "I really don't know the first thing about wedding-planning."

"You'll learn," Eve says as everybody else begins to laugh.

I smile. "Hey, I'm always up for new things! You just never know where they might lead! Hahahahaha!"

And everybody cringes. "Sorry," I say.

"I suppose we should really get used to that," Lilly says. And everybody laughs some more. But it's a good kind of laugh, like everybody's just happy to be here.

And that goes double for me. I don't remember the last time I was this happy. Maybe I never was. But I sure know that I'm happy now! Yep, my life is actually pretty good!

Who'da thunk it?

The Green Goblin, that's who!

* * *

**So, our adventure comes to a happy ending! But don't go away just yet! Because we've still go one more chapter to go! But, what could be left now that the story has come to it's conclusion? Why, the Epilogue, of course! So be sure to read our final issue to see how everything comes together at last!**


	32. Epilogue

**Here it is our highly-anticipated final issue of _Only Wolves and Madmen_! Find out what happens to all of our favorite wolves and, perhaps most importantly of all, to our emerald icon in the issue that ends it all! And, of course, what final issue of any long-running series would be complete... without a wedding?**

* * *

"Oh, this is just so emotional!" Paddy, the British yellow duck said as tears filled his eyes. He grabbed the wing of Marcel, the French (Canadian) goose who stood next to him, and began to dry his eyes.

Marcel hurriedly drew back his wing. "Paddy, please! You know how hard these wings are to style!"

"Sorry, sir, but you know I always cry at weddings!"

Kate and Humphrey had just officially become mates, sparking Paddy's outburst. Marcel himself felt similar emotions but believed that openly crying would be below his dignity. And now, Lilly and Garth were coming together for their wedding ceremony. Everyone watched with awe and expectation, knowing that this marriage would unite the packs once and for all. However, not knowing either Garth or Lilly very well and not being all that versed in the intricacies of pack politics, Marcel and Paddy paid more attention to their own bickering than the official proceedings.

"It is not my fault that you did not bring any tissues," Marcel said.

"And where was I supposed to procure those?" Paddy asked almost sincerely.

"I don't know, do I have to do everything for you?"

Paddy smiled, with just a hint of devilishness. "It would be helpful if you could do more than dictate every so often."

"What can I say? I was just born to be a dictator! You, on the other hand–"

Paddy sensed that things were getting away from him and quickly attempted to ensure that this quarrel went no further. "Though may I say, sir, that you are holding up very admirably!"

"You may and you'd be correct," was Marcel's response.

But, as Paddy and Marcel turned back toward the wedding procession, wherein Lilly and Garth were now accepting each other's scents, Paddy once again began sobbing.

"What is it now? We don't even know these two – other than that one of them is Kate's sister!" Marcel remarked.

"I can't help it," Paddy answered. "It's just all so emotional!"

"I thought you were supposed to be British. You people don't have emotions. We French on the other hand–"

"Canadians," was Paddy's abrupt reply.

"French."

"Canadians."

"French!"

"Canadians!"

Marcel slapped his wing against his head. "Oh, I can't do this with you right now!"

At the same moment, Paddy reached out to take Marcel's other one and once again use it to wipe his own eyes. Marcel swiftly pulled it back. "_Non_, we are not going through that again!"

"Here, use mine," came a voice right beside them. A screechy, almost sickening voice.

Paddy turned to take the tissue but halted when he realized it was held by a purple-gloved hand, with the two outermost fingers and the thumb of the glove cut away to reveal green skin and sharp green claws.

The two birds jumped and took a few cautious steps back as they took in the sight before them. It was a giant green creature, with a fiendish face, extremely pointy ears, and glowing yellow eyes. Garbed in a giant purple cloak which flowed in such a manner as though to defy gravity itself, the thing crouched atop what appeared to be a giant metallic bat-like creature from which clouds of gray smoke were fiercely billowing.

"What? The tissue doesn't bite!" said the being, revealing its sharp white fangs.

"Friend of the bride… or friend of the groom?" Paddy said nervously as his whole body shivered.

The thing responded, "Both actually, but mostly of the bride."  
Paddy looked from it to Lilly and then whispered to Marcel. "And she looked like such a nice girl, too. Of course, those turtle impressions gave me pause anyway…"

Marcel tried to hide his own fear and anxiety. He attempted to prevent himself from shaking but was largely unsuccessful. Working up his courage as best he could, he said, "You're not like any creature I've seen in Jasper Park before. What, if I may be so bold, are _you?_"

The thing laughed, a hideous evil laugh. "Hahaha!" And then it looked around to see all the wolves staring back at it. Garth was in the middle of nibbling Lilly's ear and both were now frozen as they looked at the green thing.

"Sorry," it said, "force of habit!"

But Marcel and Paddy were terrified enough and were then completely surprised that everybody just went right back to the wedding after this fearsome outburst. The thought of flying away as swiftly as possible crossed their minds as the thing turned back to them, its grin wide and showing off its impressive set of fangs. But both were too terrified to even move and both secretly knew that, even if they could, they could probably never outfly the bat on which the green creature was perched.

"The thing is," the creature said, "I'm not from Jasper. No, I come from good ol' New York, New York!"

"That explains it!" Marcel said, "The New Yorkers are such a filthy and barbaric people! We always avoid that place!"  
"Maybe not the best time to mention it, sir," Paddy remarked.

"Pardon me, my apologies," Marcel said as the creature seemed to take offense at the remark. He gave a sigh of relief as the being seemed satisfied with the statement. "I can't help it. I'm French, you know!"

"Canadian!" Paddy said.

"Now is not the time!" Marcel whispered.

Now the being spoke again. "Y'see, my name is Philip Urich and I'm the Green Goblin!"

"The… Green… Goblin… well, that is a strange creature," Marcel said.

"A creature from folklore to be exact," Paddy responded. "I didn't think any of them actually existed before."

"Ya learn something new every day," the Green Goblin responded as he turned back to watch Lilly and Garth rub noses. "Just like me."

"Just like me and you, Lilly," he whispered.

And then, Marcel and Paddy actually thought they saw him sniffle a little as the two wolves' noses touched and the pack howled in celebration of their union.

* * *

It's a done deal. Lilly and Garth are officially mates. Hurray! I watch the happy couple for a while as they receive their friends' and family's congratulations. And then, slowly, they manage to work their way back to me. Kate and Humphrey, Winston and Eve accompany them.

"Marcel, Paddy, I'm so glad you guys could make it!" Kate exclaims with excitement.

"_Mon cherie_, there was no way we'd miss this!" Marcel says as he looks toward Kate with one eye and cautiously keeps the other on me.

"It really was a lovely ceremony," Paddy adds, "Congratulations!"  
Lilly smiles at me. "And thank you, Philip, for staying to see it. Even if you did almost ruin it!"

"Sorry," I say, smiling bashfully. "I didn't, like, actually mean to or anything!"

"I was only joking!" she says with a laugh. I laugh a little too, being careful not to make it too much like my ear-splitting one. "Same old Phil!" she says.

"No, not exactly," I say, "brand-new Philip!"

"Not really," she says. "You're the same man I've always known. You just know it better yourself."

"And you're the same she-wolf. And you just know it better yourself! But really, I'm so happy for you. You look beautiful and I'm sure you and Garth are going to be very happy from here on out."

"Oh, I think we will be," Lilly says, nuzzling Garth's shoulder. He smiles at his mate's touch. It's nice to see the two so in love. I'm glad everything worked out for them.

And then I turn to Garth. "Now you take care of her! If you don't, I'll be up here faster than Quicksilver on performance enhancers! And I'll bring a full store of pumpkin heads!"

"Don't worry, Philip," Eve says. "If he gets out of line, I'll have him dismembered long before you get here!"

Garth looks much more nervous from Eve's threat than mine. Which is probably wise.

"Oh, but you have to leave at least half of him for me to tear apart!" I say.

She glances darkly at Garth, one of those looks that tells you she's envisioning the best way to make the kill. "I can't make any promises…"

"Come on, guys, he he," Garth says, wincing a little, "this is supposed to be a happy occasion. Do we really have to talk about all the ways you could kill me? It is my wedding day too!"

"He does have a point," Humphrey remarks.

Then I turn to Lilly. "But I mean it. I gave you my last spider-camera for a reason. Any trouble, anything at all, and you just activate it and I'll be here on the double! And if Garth gets out of order – starts, you know, looking at other she-wolves or staying out of the den too late, I can always come up just to smack him around a bit, maybe try out some new hallucinogens!"

Lilly laughs. "Don't worry, Philip. I think I can keep him in line all by myself."

"I don't doubt it!" I say.

"My sister's gonna be just fine, I think," Kate says. "And so are we, right, Humphrey?"

"Yeah, sure," Humphrey says. "After you carried me all that way from the warehouse, I'm certain of it. And good thing those fires were in an uninhabited part of the woods, that's all I got to say."

"But we weren't even in danger of the fires!" Kate teases.

"Yeah, well, I still didn't like the idea. But we were in danger of the bombs," Humphrey retorts.

Kate nods and smiles. "Which I got rid of. All part of my duty."

"Our duty now," Humphrey says. "Together."

"Our duty together," Lilly and Garth speak as one.

Lilly suddenly takes note of what I'm riding on. "Oh, but you managed to build a new glider!"

I look down at my current ride. "Yeah, it's not much, since I just had to use spare parts from the crate the other one came in, but it should do me until I can locate another one of the Osborns' hideouts and restock my supplies. I actually figured out what I did wrong the first time that made it so easy to destroy. It's actually quite an easy fix. Y'see, what you do is–"

And then, I hear a distinct ringing noise. Everybody else hears it too. I look around for a second before realizing that it could only be coming from me.

"Sorry, my cell-phone!" I say as I pull it out of my bag-of-tricks. I answer it. "Hey, Merry! I'll be back in New York soon, then we can do lunch! I just had to stay up here in Canada because a friend of mine got married today!

"What? Why does my voice sound so scratchy?" Oops, still using my Goblin voice. Better switch to my good ol' Philip Urich one before Merry gets suspicious. There, done. "Oh, I think I was standing in a bad reception spot or something. One of those dark zones that they talk about. No, not _those_ dark zones, the ones with cell phones. Yeah, I'll see you when I get back. Okay, I love you, bye!"

"It sounds like everything's better between you and Meredith," Lilly says with a knowing grin.

I nod. "Yeah, we're getting back together at last! I can't wait!"

Then, Lilly seems to become slightly dejected. "I just wish you didn't have to go."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "But I do have to go. There's a whole big world just waiting for the right hero to come along and save it. And until he does, they're stuck with me! I may not have originally wanted to be a hero… but now, this is the life I've chosen and this is the life for me. Just like your life as an Omega pack leader is the life for you!"

"Actually," Winston says, "we were thinking of sending Lilly to Alpha School. She's a bit old… and it is rather unprecedented… but after the level of courage and aptitude she has shown… well, it seems natural."

Lilly beams with confidence in what she has to say. "Thanks, dad, mom, but if you don't mind, I'd rather stay an Omega."  
Her parents' jaws drop but soon they lift back up into smiles. "Our baby has finally grown up," Eve says. Winston nods in agreement.

Lilly looks back to me, her brilliant lavender eyes sparkling. "I'm happy with who I am. This is who I am meant to be. Right, Philip?"

"Absolutely," I say. "And don't feel so sad about me. Really, don't. I'll be back around again someday when things lead me back here. And I'm sure they will, sooner or later. Destiny has a way of working like that. And if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me. That's what I live for."

Lilly smiles and nods her head in agreement. Then, she reaches for my face, much to my surprise. She lifts up my mask with her paws, revealing my real face. Marcel and Paddy gasp in awe at the realization that I am, in fact, a human.

"But, but, that's a human! How is that even possible?" Marcel goes. See, am I a good judge of people's reactions or what?

"We'll explain later," Kate whispers.

Lilly looks me in the eyes, my blue ones meeting her lavender ones. I pull her in for one

last hug, which she happily returns. And then, she leans in to where my face meets hers and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I smile.

"Go get 'em, tiger," she says as she lets the mask drop back down over my face.

And, with that, I put my glider into flying mode and take off into the wild blue yonder. As I start to ascend, I look back and see all the wolves waving good-bye at me. I return the farewell wave. And then, as I about level off in the air, they all start to give me a final howl. Talk about a warm send-off! I think I really did make some lifelong friends here. Who'da ever thunk it, wolves and Goblins? But there it is. Well, I can't go without returning the favor. So, just as I'm about to blast into the cloud-broken sky, I shout, "You got it exactly right. This is who I'm meant to be. This is my blessing, this is my curse, this is my… whatever! Y'see, my name is Philip Urich and I am the Green Goblin!"

Hahahahahahahaha!

* * *

**And now, a final word from your humble author. I just want to give a big thank you and congratulations to anyone who has followed this story the whole way through. I know that it's very long and drawn-out for an Alpha and Omega story and probably more than a little confusing at times, so I'm very grateful to you guys for sticking with it and reading through to the end. I have a strong personal attachment to this story so it means a lot to me to have you all reading it.**

**The real reason it is so long is because I was having so much fun writing it that I didn't want it to end. I'd keep thinking "Wouldn't it be great if this happened next?" and put whatever new idea I had into the story. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

**And yes, there will be a sequel...**

**So, until then, remember that you all have my heartfelt thanks.**

**- Gordon Pasha**


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